Vicky Pattison: Doctor 'gaslit' me over PMDD

Vicky Pattison shared deeply personal health struggles on Good Morning Britain, recounting how a doctor's dismissive comment about her condition left her experiencing 'dark and intrusive thoughts.' The former Geordie Shore star, 38, has been vocal about her five-year journey to receive a diagnosis for Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), a severe condition characterized by intense monthly emotional and physical symptoms.

Pattison described feeling her concerns were often ignored by medical professionals, attributing this to 'medical misogyny' and the perception that women can be 'hysterical.' She was advised by one practitioner to bring her partner to appointments to be taken more seriously, a comment that shocked presenters.

Further compounding her anxieties, Pattison has expressed significant concerns about her potential to be a mother while managing PMDD. She highlighted that for seven to ten days each month, she experiences extreme short-temper, impatience, and emotional dysregulation, making her fear her capability to parent effectively.

Her experiences with medical professionals also include being told her eggs were 'geriatric,' a term she labeled as 'misogynistic language.' Pattison is a proponent of egg freezing, advocating for greater affordability and openness around the procedure to provide women with security and backup plans for their fertility journey.