“I know I'm not depressed, I know I like my life, I know I'm very fortunate, but I have to convince myself that the world is a better place for having me in it.”
Today on Good Morning Britain, TV personality and campaigner Vicky Pattinson joined Richard Madeley and Susanna Reid to talk about a debilitating medical condition that, at times, has made her feel suicidal.
Joining her in the studio was Sarah Owen MP, Chair of the Women & Equalities Committee to talk about a new report which claims medical misogyny is leaving women in unnecessary pain because too many GPs don’t know enough about reproductive conditions.
Opening up about her medical condition, and how much it affects her life, Vicky said:
“What I suffer from, PMDD [Premenstrual dysphoric disorder], manifests itself differently in different women. My particular symptoms include crippling anxiety, exhaustion, feelings of hopelessness, worthlessness… I know I'm not depressed, I know I like my life, I know I'm very fortunate, but I have to convince myself that the world is a better place for having me in it. Because I feel like…I do, it is suicidal, that is how it is.”
Explaining more about the condition she suffers from, Vicky continued:
“The physical symptoms include aches and pains, exhaustion, cramps, breast pain, all the rest of it. Then your mental symptoms, which is where I really struggle, are your mood swings, your erratic behaviour, feelings of hopelessness, depression, a genuine belief that the world would be a better place without you in it.”
Discussing her long journey to get a diagnosis from predominantly male doctors, Vicky said:
“My experiences when I went to discuss my symptoms were horrendous. For years, for five years I was dismissed, I was made to feel ashamed. You’re quite right, for the majority of the time it was men. I think they lack an understanding and empathy towards what we're going through as women, whether that be someone suffering with PMDD, adenomyosis, endometriosis – the list is absolutely endless. They are not given the correct, I think information, education to be able to treat a woman going through what those women are.”
Sarah Owen MP, who created the report, explained:
“So many women reported to us that it felt like it was ‘just suck it up’ – that feeling that you’re just fobbed off. Go and have a hot water bottle, lie down, take some paracetamol and it'll all be fine. Actually, that's not what we need, that's not what the NHS should be providing and particularly with endometriosis - that's up to 8 years on average waiting to be diagnosed, that's eight years of women being ignored and their pain that they have to endure.”
She added: “That's why we’ve said this is medical misogyny because we can't describe it as anything but.”
Showing her support for the report, Vicky said:
“I’m in such a ridiculously privileged position, I've got not only job flexibility but I've got a partner who understands, I've got financial freedom and when I was completely dismissed time and time again I was able to go private and get the answers I wanted.
“There are thousands, if not millions, of people out there, women who aren't getting the same opportunities I did and this report is a step in the right direction.”