Hormones Are Ruining My Life!!!
TATE Collection 2026
‘Hormones Are Ruining My Life’ is my first comic. I made this comic to raise awareness for the under researched, under diagnosed disorder that affects 1 in 20 individuals worldwide, called PMDD (Pre Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder).
PMDD is often described as severe PMS. Pre Menstrual Dysphoric Disorder is a cyclical, severe neurological condition with varying treatments that work for some and not others. Someone living with PMDD will experience two weeks of feeling like themselves, then 2 weeks of feeling like a different person.
No one knows what causes PMDD.
But it doesn’t look like a typical comic?
That’s because ‘HARML’ (we’ll call it that for short) aims to raise awareness for PMDD in a non clinical, entertaining way. It was originally drawn on a huge piece of paper, 72x41 cm wide, which is roughly the same dimensions as my birth control side effects sheet.
I formatted the comic so it would snake across the paper from top to bottom. It’s folded and cut so it can be read as a book, as well as unfolded for the other side to be read, and to show the scale of the paper. When read as a book, the story loops back round to the front, as with the cyclical nature of the menstrual cycle, the book goes round and round too. Blue represents the luteal phase (sad) and pink represents follicular and ovulatory phase (happy).
Disclaimer: I don’t disagree with the pill nor am I trying to fear monger. The idea of highlighting this is more so from a point of view of how normalised hormonal birth control is, considering how it changes someone’s body. This is by no means discounting it’s positive effects. It helps me be normal, and for that I am grateful.
Folding and cutting HARML
A humorous yet informative snake fold comic about PMDD.
TATE Zine Collection 2026