PMS, anxiety and depression: what to know

Premenstrual mood symptoms may include feeling anxious, tearful, irritable, hopeless, unable to concentrate, or unusually tired. Note when symptoms start, how they affect sleep and functioning, and whether they improve after the period. A cyclical pattern can point toward PMS, but anxiety or depression may also occur independently and can overlap. Difficulty sleeping can intensify emotional symptoms, creating a difficult feedback loop.

Use a daily symptom diary, keep meals and sleep regular, and choose manageable activity. Share the pattern with someone you trust and reduce avoidable demands during harder days. A healthcare professional can assess mood, medicines, physical symptoms, and safety, then discuss talking therapy or other suitable treatment. Do not stop prescribed medicine suddenly.

Arrange an appointment if symptoms affect relationships, work, sleep, or self-care, or if they continue outside the premenstrual phase. Seek urgent help for thoughts of self-harm, feeling unable to stay safe, severe agitation, confusion, or loss of contact with reality.

Do my symptoms follow a menstrual pattern? How should I track them, and what support is appropriate if anxiety or low mood is present between periods?