‘For Hilary, Elizabeth, the 1-in-20’ published at Free Verse Revolution

Issue V of Free Verse Revolution’s literary magazine is out today, and is entitled ‘Cassandra: Prophecy and Deceit.’ I am honoured to be included amongst the list of contributors. For this issue, I submitted a poem about PMDD, a pre-menstrual disorder which affects up to 1 in 20 women of reproductive age, most of whom will be undiagnosed, or misdiagnosed with conditions such as Bipolar Disorder or Borderline Personality Disorder. You can find out more about the condition from the IAPMD Website. I have been suffering from this condition for at least 7 years now, and it took me a long time, and a hard fight to receive a diagnosis. I then had to advocate to receive the appropriate treatment, whilst battling this debilitating condition at the same time. Happily, I am due to begin a new (and hopefully effective) treatment next week. Follow me on Instagram @PMDDIng for updates, and feel free to message me if you want to know more about the condition.

For Hilary, Elizabeth, the 1-in-20

My great aunt Hilary
was 15
when they locked her up
in an asylum
and she lived there until she died, young
pumped with drugs and ECT,
a stranger to her own mind

My mother Elizabeth
was 15 when her troubles began
Anorexia, Bulimia, Schizophrenia
in and out of hospital
overdose after overdose
of ineffective medicine
until she took the plunge and died, aged 33…

Download the latest copy of FVR magazine to continue reading. In this poem, I write about my mum and great aunt, who may have had the condition. Researchers believe it is hereditary, but of course, I will never know for sure, because PMDD was not a known condition back then. It is still barely recognised today, but very real for those suffering from it. This issue also contains an interview where I talk about my poetry, publishing activities, and PMDD advocacy. Many thanks to editor Kristiana for providing me with a platform to discuss this.

The photo shows me and my mum, c.1985