Dixie D'Amelio has revealed she has been diagnosed with premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which she says "really disrupts" her life.
The 21-year-old TikToker, whose sister Charli is one of the most followed users on the platform, opened up about her health struggles in an Instagram live.
PMDD is a “severe, sometimes disabling extension of premenstrual syndrome (PMS),” which can cause “extreme mood shifts that can disrupt daily life and damage relationships,” according to Mayo Clinic.
“I kind of took a break from social media the past two weeks. I wasn’t feeling great and not really sure why,” Dixie said in the Instagram live.
"It really affects your moods and your behavior and many different parts of your life," she explained. "I feel like I didn't realize how much it was affecting me until I got to this point I was in last week. But it really disrupts my life and my attitude and my personality and my relationships and just who I am as a person,” she said. “And it’s very obvious to see in these next couple episodes of the show.”
Dixie explained that her PMDD symptoms also affect her mental health.
“I have never been so low and just down. And having no idea what was wrong with me was very alarming,” she said. “I just felt like I had no control over my body or mind and I had no idea what was wrong but it would turn on and off like a light switch."
She added: "That was very confusing to me because how could I go one day being fine and the next day not wanting to be here anymore?"
Those suffering from the disorder tend to feel a number of emotions including anxiety, anger, sadness, and irritability.
After having dealt with the disorder for seven years, Dixie now says she's "very happy" that she knows the root cause of her intense feelings and is able to figure out "better ways to handle" her extreme emotions.
"I'm feeling better now, and I will probably be going through the same thing next month and the month after that because there's no immediate cure," Dixie said.