Helen Flanagan reveals her debilitating battle with 'nightmare' premenstrual dysphoric disorder has left her 'depressed, exhausted and crying all the time'
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Helen Flanagan has revealed she has been 'so depressed' she hasn't wanted to leave the house as she opened up about her debilitating condition.
The former Coronation Street star, 34, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a health update with her 1million followers.
The reality star explained that her debilitating premenstrual dysphoric disorder had been making her feel depressed and she was so unhappy she had been crying 'all the time' and was exhausted.
The blonde beauty posted a picture of herself with her eyes closed and holding a tampon up to her face.
She explained in the caption that she had snapped the selfie while on the toilet and was dressed in a pink pyjama shirt with her hair in a messy bun.
The former Coronation Street star, 34, took to Instagram on Thursday to share a health update with her 1million followers while holding a tampon
Helen explained that she was 's happy on holiday' (pictured) and her hormones were stable but she has been struggling the past week
The star made the revelation as she sat on the toilet on the first day of school for her children (Matilda, 8, right, Delilah, 5, left and Charlie, 3 below)
Alongside the candid photo, Helen wrote: 'My PMDD has been a nightmare this week worst it’s been since the beginning of the year. It’s horrible with hormones as you can’t control what the hormones do to your brain.
'I was so happy on holiday my hormones were stable and then as soon as I came back I was the week due before my period and the hormones just made me feel so depressed. Not wanting to leave the house, crying all the time, exhaustion (like a pregnancy kind of tired) focus and concentration really poor, even clumsy, irritated. Any other women that struggle with this I feel you
'Then as soon as you bleed you just feel such a relief as you know mentally you’re going to feel ok again and normal.
'I read PMDD is more common in women with ADHD which is me think I’ve have everything actually, bit of OCD too, might as well throw myself in the bin x
'I tried the pill in December to try and help with my PMDD but it didn’t agree with me at all, it might mr feel really weird and worse in a way. [sic] Then made me bleed so heavily that I felt faint all the time. Medication kind of freaks me out anyway after having such a horrible reaction to ADHD meds. Everyone each to their own just talking about my own personal experience x
'I’ve done cycle syncing with my lovely friend Grace and that really helped me. Helped me understand my cycle more and my emotional state on all the different stages of the menstrual cycle.
'I used to never let myself cry or really feel my emotions and fight them which I think made it all worse. I got myself in this kind of mentality when me and the father of my kids separated to cope really and was almost constantly in a not natural masculine energy.
'Now I don’t, I be totally in my feminine energy. I cry when I need to cry. I get angry when I’m angry and I let myself feel sad ( only for a certain amount of time though
The reality star explained that her debilitating premenstrual dysphoric disorder had been making her depressed and she was so unhappy she had been crying 'all the time'
'Exercise helps HUGELY. I like being in nature which sounds hilarious but it’s true. Sleep. Watching alcohol intake. Healthy diet. Looking after mental health best as you can.
'Anyway I just wanted you to know share this picture of me on the loo this morning. Just before the school run as all my kids shout MUM MUM a million times. It was a relief to come on my period this morning and for all the women that struggle with the same thing.'
The star has been candid about her struggles before and revealed during an interview on the Full of Grace podcast in June that she used to 'feel horrendous mentally before her period' to the point that 'she couldn't cope'.
She said she had pleaded with doctors for medication to 'level her out' after mental health struggles left her feeling 'awful and depressed.'
It's been an emotional week for Helen who broke down in tears after she faced being axed from Celebs Go Dating - with experts sinking claws into star for lying about secret boyfriend and ‘wasting everyone’s time’.
In Tuesday's episode of the Channel 4 reality show, actress Helen, 34, confessed to having a boyfriend 'back at home'.
The star is dating Robbie Talbot, 44, who also has children, and told her shocked celebrity cast mates and the show's experts: 'I think I am in love with him.'
Helen is not the only high profile celebrity who has spoken about their experiences with the condition.
Vicky Pattison revealed last year she suffered from 'suicidal thoughts' because of her PMDD.
It's been an emotional week for Helen who broke down in tears after she faced being axed from Celebs Go Dating (pictured)
Helen had been in a 13-year relationship with ex-footballer Scott Sinclair but the pair split in 2022
Speaking on ITV's Good Morning Britain, she said: 'Honestly, the best way I've ever heard it described is that PMDD is like building a sand castle of good habits, great relationships positive habits, going for morning runs, drinking green juice giving birth to an avocado, whatever it is.
'And then every month, a wave comes and takes away all those things and leaves only hopelessness and despair.
'It's this constant cycle. It was despair, hopelessness, overwhelm, chronic fatigue, crippling anxiety, and - in some darker moments - suicidal thoughts.'
The former Geordie Shore star went on to explain that the condition can often be misdiagnosed as depression and called on the NHS to start treating the two as separate issues as she revealed where she is at with her treatment.
