Some days, the reflection in the mirror feels like a friend—familiar, comforting, steady. Other days, it’s like looking at a stranger—distant and distorted. For those who experience Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), this sense of disconnection becomes intensely real. The face staring back doesn’t align with the one you know. And yet, it’s still you, just obscured by a temporary fog. PMDD is a severe form of PMS that deeply affects mood, emotions, and physical well-being in the days leading up to a period. It’s more than just feeling off—it’s a profound emotional shift, with symptoms like extreme mood swings, irritability, anxiety, and depression. For those living with it, PMDD can make the world feel darker, strain relationships, and even turn your own reflection into something unfamiliar. It distorts not only the outer world but the way you see yourself.
What makes it harder is that in moments like these, the small rituals we rely on, like applying makeup, shift from being simple routines to complex interactions. It’s not just about putting on lipstick or mascara anymore; it’s about trying to regain control over something—anything—when everything else feels out of reach. But does it work? Or does it just heighten the sense that nothing feels quite right?
PMDD doesn’t just affect how you feel; it distorts how you see. Your perception becomes warped, like peering into a funhouse mirror. The skin looks duller, eyes less bright. Makeup that usually enhances feels off. The foundation feels too heavy, the eyeliner shaky, and by the time you’re done, you’re left wondering if it was worth the effort. The “you” that makeup usually highlights is buried somewhere beneath mood swings and emotional fog.
Imagine your reflection as a calm lake. Most days, the surface is smooth, clear, and what you see is familiar. But PMDD is like a storm blowing across that lake, turning the water choppy, distorting the reflection. The reflection isn’t wrong; it’s just interrupted. The storm—not the water—distorts what you see.
In the beauty world, this emotional storm creates a dilemma: do you adjust your makeup to match how you feel, or do you change how you feel about your makeup? When you chase a distorted reflection, it can feel like running in circles, exhausting. Perhaps, during these days, it’s less about changing the face you see and more about avoiding the mirror altogether. After all, if the storm is only temporary, maybe the answer is to let it pass, trusting that what you usually recognize will come back into view once the waves settle.
In moments like these, stepping away from the mirror might be the most empowering option. Let the reflection go, focus on other ways to care for yourself, and when the storm passes, you’ll find your reflection waiting for you—unchanged, just clearer.
When the emotional waves hit, will you spend your energy trying to fix the reflection, or will you give yourself permission to let the storm pass, knowing that the calm will return?