Women’s Mental Health with Dr. Pri
Severe mood changes in the week or two before your period are real and treatable. Dr. Pri is a psychiatrist who diagnoses and treats premenstrual dysphoric disorder by secure video, with care built around the timing of your cycle. Every new patient starts with a free 15 minute call.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, or PMDD, is a cyclical mood condition tied to the menstrual cycle. In the week or two before a period, mood drops and irritability, anxiety, and tension climb. Once bleeding starts, the symptoms ease within a few days.
PMDD is not the same as ordinary premenstrual symptoms. The mood changes are severe enough to affect work, relationships, and daily life, and the pattern repeats cycle after cycle. Because it follows a clear timeline, the diagnosis comes from tracking symptoms rather than a single test.
Many people are told their symptoms are just PMS. The difference is severity and impact. PMS brings mild, manageable changes. PMDD brings mood symptoms strong enough to disrupt the things that matter to you, on a predictable monthly schedule.
That distinction matters because PMDD responds to specific treatment. When it is recognized for what it is, the plan can target the mood symptoms directly.
Mild physical and mood changes that do not derail daily life.
Severe mood symptoms, on a clear cyclical pattern, that interfere with work, relationships, and daily life.
Symptoms appear in the luteal phase, the stretch before a period, and lift once bleeding begins. Common ones include the following.
If you have thoughts of harming yourself at any point in your cycle, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or call 911. Please do not wait for a scheduled appointment.
It is worth booking an evaluation when the premenstrual stretch keeps pulling your life off course. Any of the following are good reasons to reach out.
If you are searching for a PMDD specialist near you, telehealth makes specialized psychiatric care available throughout New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
PMDD is diagnosed by pattern, not by a one-time test. Your first appointment is a full psychiatric evaluation that runs 60 to 90 minutes and covers your symptoms, your cycle, your history, and anything you have already tried.
Prospective symptom tracking across menstrual cycles can help confirm whether symptoms consistently follow a PMDD pattern and distinguish PMDD from conditions that are present throughout the month. Dr. Pri also screens for anxiety, depression, and thyroid issues that can look similar.
Treatment is matched to your symptoms and how they move through the month. On the psychiatric side, an SSRI is a common first step. Depending on the pattern, it can be taken every day or only during the luteal phase, the stretch before your period.
Supportive and cognitive behavioral techniques are worked into visits to help with sleep, stress, and the early warning days. Where a hormonal option such as a specific birth control pill fits the picture, Dr. Pri coordinates with your gynecologist so the two sides of your care work together. She explains the options, the expected benefits, and the side effects before anything is prescribed.
Dr. Pri is a Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine licensed in Psychiatry and Neurology in New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. She has a particular focus on women’s mental health across the lifespan, from PMDD through pregnancy, postpartum, and perimenopause.
Because the practice stays out of network, she keeps a small caseload. That means longer visits and continuity with the same psychiatrist from one appointment to the next.
Licensing follows where you are sitting during the visit, not where you live. You need to be physically located in one of these three states at the time of your appointment.
Patients across New York City and the rest of the state can start PMDD care from home, with no commute and no waiting room.
Patients across New Jersey can be seen by video, with appointments that fit around work and family.
From Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania patients can keep steady PMDD care with one psychiatrist over secure video.
For low mood that lasts beyond the premenstrual weeks.
Yes. The evaluation, symptom tracking, and ongoing care are all a conversation supported by your records, which works well over secure video. You need to be physically located in New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania during each visit.
Book your complimentary 15 minute consultation to learn more about Dr. Pri’s approach to PMDD evaluation and treatment. You can also call (646) 389-0538 or email [email protected].
