Register for PMDD HOPE OFFERS ENCOURAGEMENT AND INFORMATION TO WOMEN SUFFERING FROM PMDD
New Tele-Consulting Service Empowers Women to Become Advocates For Their
Physical and Emotional Health
East Lansing, MI – September 21, 2009 - According to the National Institutes of
Health (NIH), premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) affects between three and
eight percent of women during their reproductive years. Like premenstrual
syndrome (PMS), PMDD is associated with a woman's menstrual cycle and includes
symptoms such as depression, anxiety, and irritability. What sets PMDD apart is
its severity. The illness can be debilitating, including severe physical and
emotional disturbances that can leave women and their loved ones feeling
hopeless and frustrated.
PMDD touches a large number families, but many women are unfamiliar with the
illness or don't know where to turn for information and support¯ said PMDD Hope
founder Jennifer Wells-McCullough.
Because the amount of accessible information about PMDD has been limited,
Wells-McCullough founded PMDD Hope to provide PMDD sufferers and their families
with resources and support. The effects of PMDD are broad-reaching,¯ said
Wells-McCullough. Women must not only learn to navigate PMDD's physical effects,
but also formulate a plan for adapting their lives so the disease is less
disruptive to their relationships, jobs, and emotional well-being.
Wells-McCullough, a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor and former PMDD sufferer,
knows first-hand how difficult it can be to navigate the available resources in
search of information. The illness may be affected by multiple variables that
make it essential for women to work with knowledgeable advocates on their paths
to wellness.
PMDD Hope offers services aimed at helping women with PMDD take control of their
diagnoses. Services include:
- Education, guidance, and support for women and their families to assist in psychosocial adaptation to PMDD
- Information about chronic illness and applicable laws and rights in workplace and educational settings
- Support for PMDD sufferers during the process of disclosure about their illness
- Identification of online and community resources to provide ongoing assistance
- Strategies to increase self-efficacy & self-advocacy
- Development of coping strategies
- Identification of strengths, areas of concern, and goals to help women increase their quality of life
- Support, empathy, and understanding during difficult days with PMDD
About PMDD Hope
PMDD Hope was founded in 2009 to empower and educate women with PMDD and the
people that care about them. Jennifer Wells-McCullough offers personalized
consultation and supportive services designed to increase awareness of the
illness and help sufferers move toward integration and wellness. For more
information, please visit
www.pmddhope.com
