Feeling Depressed Before Your Period? Here’s Why
If you notice your mood taking a dip in the days or weeks before your period, you’re not imagining it. Many people experience emotional changes as part of premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and for some, those changes can feel like real depression.
Understanding what’s happening in your body is just the first step toward feeling more supported, empowered, and in control.
Let’s talk about why this happens and what you can do to feel better.
What Is PMS, Really?
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is a group of physical and emotional symptoms that usually start about a week before your period. For some people, PMS means bloating, aches, or fatigue. For others, it can mean feeling more emotional, irritable, or sad than usual. And yes, PMS can absolutely make you feel depressed in the weeks leading up to your period.
Experts aren’t completely sure of the exact cause of PMS, but most agree it’s closely linked to hormonal changes that happen during the second half of your menstrual cycle.
The Hormone Connection
Ovulation happens about halfway through your cycle. At this point, your body releases an egg, and your estrogen and progesterone levels start to shift. These changes are normal and natural, but that doesn’t stop them from making a big impact on how you feel.
Estrogen and progesterone don’t just affect your reproductive system. They also influence serotonin, a neurotransmitter that plays a major role in regulating your mood, sleep cycle, and appetite. When serotonin levels are low, you may feel:
Sad or down
Irritable
More anxious than usual
Tired or unable to sleep well
Prone to unusual food cravings
Sound familiar? These are all common PMS symptoms. So when your hormones fluctuate, your serotonin levels can shift too, which helps explain why your mood can feel so different before your period.
PMS But More Severe
For some people, symptoms go beyond PMS and become something called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). PMDD is similar to PMS, but much more intense. Many people with PMDD report feeling deeply depressed before their period, sometimes even having thoughts of suicide.
While around 75% of women experience PMS during their reproductive years, only about 3–8% have PMDD. Still, that’s a significant number, and it’s important to know that PMDD is real. There is a biological basis for it, even though many women are still told their symptoms are “imaginary.” Research clearly shows otherwise.
If you experience anxiety or severe depression before your period, you are not alone, and your experience is valid.
How Can You Manage It?
Managing PMS or PMDD often means using a combination of approaches. Here are some supportive options that may help ease the severity of your symptoms:
1. Track Your Monthly Symptoms
Keeping a daily log of your symptoms can be incredibly helpful. Write down:
What symptoms you experience
How severe they are (on a scale of 1–10)
Which days they occur
This can help your doctor diagnose PMDD and also help you predict when symptoms are likely to appear. Being prepared can make a huge difference and prevent you from feeling caught off guard.
2. Lifestyle Changes
Simple changes can go a long way:
Regular exercise
Getting enough sleep
Reducing caffeine
Avoiding alcohol and smoking
All of these have been shown to reduce symptom severity. Stress management also matters. Avoid known emotional triggers when possible, and try practices like yoga, meditation, or other relaxation techniques.
3. Find Support
Living with intense PMS can feel lonely. Joining a peer support group or talking to a counsellor can be incredibly helpful. Sharing your experiences with others who understand can ease the emotional burden.
It’s also important to involve your loved ones. When they know what you’re going through, it creates space for understanding and reduces strain on relationships.
4. Try Our Doctor-Developed PMS Cream
At Hormones and You, we understand the powerful role hormones play in emotional well-being. Solutions like our progesterone cream can help your hormones remain stable throughout your cycle.
We use compounded hormone formulations, which, unlike a one-size-fits-all approach, will give you a customised dose ready to tackle your problems. Our cream will rebalance your oestrogen and progesterone levels in the body and aid in stabilising your mood with its anti-anxiety and calming effects.
Feeling depressed before your period doesn’t mean something is wrong with you. It means your body is responding to real, biological changes. Whether you experience mild PMS or more severe symptoms, you deserve understanding, support, and options that help you feel your best.
That’s why we’re here to remind you that your hormones matter and you don’t have to navigate this alone. Start an online consultation now, and bring peace to both your body and mind.
