PMDD in Wales: Organizing an Awareness Event at the Welsh Senedd
In 2022, I had the opportunity to serve as an IAPMD Awareness Month Champion. I wanted to get as involved as I could in raising awareness during Premenstrual Disorders Awareness Month. I had lots of positive experiences during the month and opportunities started to arise even after the month was over. I knew I wanted to continue to focus my energy on raising awareness, especially within Wales where I live and where healthcare is devolved. So I decided to run an awareness event of my own - and where better than at the heart of Welsh Government - The Senedd Estate during April 2023 - right in PMD Awareness Month!
Becci at the Senedd Estate in Cardiff Bay, Wales.
In the preceding months, I got to planning - working alongside IAPMD and the folks at the National Centre for Mental Health (NCMH) in Cardiff to make sure I had all the right information to share. With the event being in Wales where both English and Welsh are official languages, I had the extra challenge of making sure everything was bilingual! I was busy getting information translated, printed, and invites sent out to Senedd members, local health groups, teachers, and even the police forces!
I was fortunate that my local Member of Senedd (MS), Sioned Williams was not only interested in my journey with PMDD and wanted to learn more - but she agreed to sponsor the event as well!
Sioned Williams speaking during PMD Awareness Month | Opening speech by Sioned Williams on Women’s Health Debate
In the build-up to the event, I was pretty nervous that Senedd members wouldn't attend because they weren't interested in learning about PMDD and how it impacts those living with the condition and their families. I felt quite despondent a day or two before because out of around 200 people invited, only two had RSVP'd to confirm their attendance.
But on the day of the event, I was overwhelmed by the number of people that attended!
Many attended as they had a genuine desire to learn about PMDD and how it impacts our lives. Others came along because they were overjoyed that PMDD was getting recognition at last, having suffered themselves, or because they had a loved one who suffered. There were others who attended the event because they had never heard of PMDD before. They’d seen my posters around town, decided to investigate, and realized it was likely that people in their office could be living with PMDD and they wanted to know how to make their workplace more accessible and accommodating.
During the event, sufferers and family members spoke about our experiences. We wanted to give those without PMDD a raw insight into the difficulties we face navigating life, relationships, getting a diagnosis, and everything in between.
My eyes were opened to a world of beautiful conversations I never imagined myself having with people, people who are all around us in our everyday lives. People who pass us by each day, and have probably never suspected our struggles, but who care. We also engaged in optimistic conversations with the Royal College of General Practitioners Cymru and Senedd Members about paving new ways to introduce education and awareness of PMDD within Wales.
Advocates at the 2023 PMDD Awareness Event held at the Welsh Senedd on April 26, 2023. Pictured (from left): Sioned Williams [Member of Senedd, Wales], Becci Smart [PMDD advocate and event host], Professor Arianna Di Florio [Researcher and Clinical Psychiatrist, National Centre for Mental Health], Laura Murphy [Director of Education & Awareness, IAPMD].
I’m hopeful the awareness event has sparked a positive wave of change for those with PMDD in Wales.
After going through the stress of planning and the joy of hosting this event, I wanted to share my top tips for anyone wanting to run an awareness event in their area too:
Don't be afraid to invite everyone you can think of. Sometimes the people you don't expect to be interested are the ones most keen to learn! Think outside the box - suicide prevention organizations, and domestic abuse charities - are all people that need to be aware of premenstrual disorders.
Practice in advance on how to speak about PMDD/PME. Most people have no understanding of some of the terminology we use living with PMDD (e.g., luteal phase, brain disorder, SSRIs), so keep it simple and accessible!
Go with the flow. The day never ends up going how you planned in your head!
You may find that some people will turn up just for the sake of being jerks, let them! Let them challenge you, let them counter your points with their own, and engage in a healthy debate with them.
Work with people - you don’t have to do it alone or start from scratch. Reach out to reliable organizations and charities - though be careful of companies trying to profit from your hard work!
Above everything else, have fun! Living with PMDD can be really hard, but use this time to shine a light on not only the negatives but the positives. It gives you a chance to connect with people that share the same experiences, to educate others, laugh and make friends.
I’d like to say a special thank you to Sioned Williams MS for sponsoring the event, continuing to advocate on behalf of each person living with a Premenstrual Disorder within Wales by highlighting in the Senedd the effects of PMDD on our lives and our loved one’s lives, from the diagnosis time, misdiagnosis rates and the rates of suicidality.
You can read Sioned’s statement here.
A special thanks also goes to The National Centre for Mental Health which supported the event along with IAPMD, providing crucial information on their research study into Genetics, environment, and reproductive events.
More information about the study can be found here.
MEET BECCI
I am a mum of two & two stepsons, from Wales. I am an advocate for Menstrual Health, Children's Mental Health, Epilepsy, and Rare Diseases.
You can follow Becci on Instagram @disorderedbrain_
Also by Becci: She is Me
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