Vicky Pattison detailed how her husband, Ercan Ramadan, saved her life due to one specific act during a dark moment earlier this year, not long before her stint on Strictly Come Dancing
Vicky Pattison has revealed that a specific act by her husband saved her life during a dark moment in the run-up to her appearance on Strictly Come Dancing. In a brave admission, the Strictly hopeful discussed her experience with suicidal thoughts and how one night, she had called her husband, Ercan Ramadan, and told him that she didn’t know what she was “capable of”.
Vicky, who’s partnered up with Strictly pro Kai Widdrington on the popular BBC show, has premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which the NHS describes as a chronic hormone-related mood disorder.
Its symptoms include depression, mood swings, anxiety, feeling hopeless, anger and irritability, as well as physical effects, such as joint or muscle pain, fatigue, headaches and bloating. It also detailed how many people with the condition suffer from suicidal thoughts.
Speaking in a recent interview, Vicky described a worrying incident that occurred this year while she was preparing for her stint on Strictly.
Vicky told the Mail: “There was a night, earlier this year, when I was alone in the house with the dogs. Ercan was out playing football with his mates. I had to ring him and say, ‘I don’t know what I am capable of right now’.
“He stayed on the phone, reminding me of all the good things in our life – the dogs, our holidays, our family. I couldn’t see any of that in that moment. I was lost.”
The publication also noted that Vicky didn’t have a plan for what she was about to do, but she feels adamant that Ercan’s act of keeping her on the phone saved her life.
She added: “I felt that the world would be better off without me. It wasn’t that I wanted to die. It was that I couldn’t imagine living like that any longer.”
It wouldn’t be the first time that Vicky has opened up about PMDD. In January, the former Geordie Shore star told Heat magazine that she “spent the best part of the last 10 years” thinking she was “descending into madness” prior to her diagnosis.
She said: “I spent the best part of the last 10 years thinking I was descending into madness, being told by doctors there was nothing wrong with me. They were insinuating that I was just weak and dramatic.
“When I finally got my diagnosis, it was the most liberating feeling. I thought, ‘You’re not weak, you’re not horrible, you’re not depressed – you have a disorder’.”
PMDD reportedly arises as a result of what the NHS describes as an “abnormal reaction” to hormonal changes during the menstrual cycle, although the exact cause remains unknown.
Treatments for PMDD may include contraceptives, anti-depressants, or induced menopause. The NHS also suggests that lifestyle changes and therapy may help with the condition.
You can learn more about premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) on the NHS 111 Wales website.
