Helene's Story
I’m a storyteller, marketer, and women’s health advocate.
Moon Quest is my brainchild.
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I’ve lived with PMDD (premenstrual dysphoric disorder) since my teenage years but spent more than a decade not knowing what it was.
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After years of misdiagnoses, self-blame, and confusion, I finally learned the truth: my heightened emotions were a biological response to hormonal changes.
Professionally, I’ve spent about a decade working in digital marketing and brand strategy, helping global companies build human-centred experiences that connect through empathy and storytelling.
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Moon Quest was born from my personal mission: to make premenstrual disorders visible, understood, and manageable through gentle education.
Women in tech meet-up Birmingham
8th June 2026
I spoke at Women in Tech Birmingham about the 14 years between my first premenstrual symptoms and the day I found out about PMDD. That gap is the reason Moon Quest exists.
Real change has to come from healthcare, which will take time. Time we might not have.
2026, 34 years old
On an SSRI (antidepressant) for a year, working on living more in harmony with my cycle. Added a drospirenone combined pill to manage heavy periods and exhaustion.
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My quest continues...
2012, 20 years old
End up at counselling service due to suicidal thoughts. Get told I have separation anxiety and daddy issues.
I don't return.
2011, 19 years old
Go to university far away from home. Get into a toxic relationship, mental health deteriorates.Â
2023, 31 years old
Discover PMDD, start having conversations with people struggling with the same things I am.
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Go to the doctor armed with knowledge (and my husband).
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I get an official PMDD diagnosis.
2021, 29 years old
Get pregnant for the first time. I've never felt this stable before. All my premenstrual symptoms go away.
2018, 26 years old
Meet Jasper, now my husband, who notices I seem to turn into a different person before my period.
2002, 10 years old
I get my first period. The cramps are so bad that I have to miss school every month. Once, I pass out from the pain.
2008, 16 years old
Start taking the birth control pill. No more heavy periods or pain, but I gain loads of weight. I feel ugly.
My Cycle Timeline
What is PMDD?
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome that affects mood, energy, and daily life. It happens in the two weeks before a period, when hormone levels shift, and can cause intense emotional and physical symptoms.
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Around 1.6% of menstruating people meet full diagnostic criteria for PMDD at any given point. Where PMDD is suspected but not confirmed by two cycles of daily symptom ratings, estimates rise to roughly 7.7%.
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Up to 75% of menstruating people report some premenstrual symptoms. PMDD is a much smaller group, and the symptoms are severe enough to disrupt work, relationships, and daily life.
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In a global sample of 599 people with prospectively confirmed PMDD, 72% reported active suicidal thoughts at some point in their lives and 34% reported an attempt.
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Diagnosis takes an average of 12 years, and often 5-7 different healthcare providers.
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PMDD entered the DSM-5 in 2013 and is listed in the ICD-11, in effect since 2022. Research funding and clinical awareness are still catching up.
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If any of this is true for you right now, it is worth taking to a doctor rather than carrying alone.
Sources: Reilly et al. (2024), Journal of Affective Disorders. Eisenlohr-Moul et al. (2022), Journal of Affective Disorders. Steiner and Pearlstein, as cited in British Journal of Psychiatry (2025). International Association for Premenstrual Disorders.
