PMDD isn't just a hormonal condition, it's a sensory and emotional experience that lives in the body. Before thoughts spiral or behaviours emerge, your system speaks through sensation. This blog post explores: What emotions actually are How sensations carry emotional information Why emotions intensify in the luteal phase How to stay present without becoming flooded (overwhelmed by emotions) What Are Emotions? Emotions originate in the limbic system, a brain network handling

PMDD can feel incredibly challenging, especially when you are newly diagnosed or just beginning to understand what’s happening in your body. This article focuses on the nervous system and the body’s stress-response system , because these systems play a central role in the emotional distress of PMDD. PMDD Is a Nervous System and Stress-Response Condition PMDD affects both the brain and the body. The nervous systems is more sensitive to normal hormonal changes , especially fluc

Creating Safety in the Nervous System For women with PMDD, emotions can be very intense , often making you feel overwhelmed and frightened by your own physical sensations. Self-compassion is a nervous system regulation practice that helps you stay present, reduce overwhelm, and remain connected to your body through every phase of the cycle. It helps build internal safety and acceptance of big emotions, allowing them to come and go more naturally. What Self-Compassion Really

Support your PMDD and Nervous System January often arrives with pressure to build new habits, new goals, and become a “new you.” But for women with PMDD symptoms, the nervous system and hormonal cycle don’t reset on 1 January. PMDD and the nervous system are deeply connected. PMDD is not just about hormones, it’s about nervous system regulation , emotional capacity, and how safe the body feels. When the nervous system is overwhelmed or dysregulated, motivation, focus, and c

Introduction Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a debilitating mood disorder that impacts women during the luteal phase of their menstrual cycle, causing severe emotional and physical symptoms. For individuals with an anxious attachment style , characterised by feelings and behaviours such as fear of abandonment and a constant need for reassurance, PMDD often intensifies relationship challenges and internal distress. This blog explores how PMDD and anxious attachment

PMDD doesn’t create attachment wounds , but it can magnifies existing attachment patterns, when women head into there luteal phase and sensitivity and emotional shifts intensify. Your attachment style influences how you experience and respond to the heightened emotional and physical symptoms of PMDD, and understanding this interplay can be transformative in healing and navigating relationships. This blog is a basic overview of each attachment style and its interaction with P

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is more than just a hormone problem. It is a complex systems-level interaction  between reproductive hormones , brain chemistry, and the stress-response network that affects your mood, energy, and sense of safety. This guide breaks down each hormone and system involved so you can understand exactly  what happens in the body and why your symptoms feel so intense. 1. Estrogen Estrogen is one of the most influential hormones in PMDD becau

PMDD can feel incredibly challenging , especially when you are just becoming aware you have it or are navigating a new diagnosis. Much of the information online focuses on the struggle rather than the possibility of healing . This guide is here to offer hope, clarity, and education so you can better understand your body’s systems and begin building understanding and awareness. PMDD is a complex condition that affects both the brain and the body. Women with PMDD aren’t overr

Introduction Stress triggers a full-body response, affecting hormones, the nervous system, and the brain all together. In women with PMDD or PMS , the HPA axis (hypothalamus–pituitary–adrenal axis) often becomes more sensitive and less adaptable to hormonal shifts. This can make mood changes , fatigue, and emotional swings feel more intense during vulnerable phases of the menstrual cycle . Knowledge is power and when you begin to understand how your stress response works, you

Most women grow up knowing only the basics about their menstrual cycle: you bleed, you ovulate, and the rest is a mystery you’re meant to “just deal with.” But your cycle is not simply a monthly inconvenience, it is a biological rhythm, a psychological landscape, and for many women, an emotional compass. When you track your cycle, and begin to embody its rhythms, you aren’t just counting days. You’re learning the language of your body. This awareness can help you understand m

If you’ve ever found yourself reaching for extra snacks, sweets, or comfort food before your period , you’re not alone. Many women experience what’s often called binge eating before the period , a powerful mix of hormonal shifts, emotional sensitivity, and nervous system overwhelm. During the luteal phase, the two weeks leading up to menstruation, the body’s chemistry changes dramatically. Progesterone rises, estrogen drops, and serotonin (the neurotransmitter that helps you

If you ever wonder “does PMDD make you tired?”  or “can PMDD cause anxiety?”  The answer is yes, and these symptoms are your body asking for deeper care, not more effort. If you live with PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder) , you know that fatigue and brain fog  can be among the hardest symptoms to cope with.  Whether it shows up as brain fog during your period , feeling spacey in the luteal phase, or a sense that you “just can’t think straight,” these shifts can be deep

For so many women, getting a diagnosis of  PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder)  feels draining. You know something is wrong, your mood crashes, rage, panic, or despair come like clockwork before your period, but the medical system often dismisses it as “just PMS.” If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone . Many women I support in my Support Group   share the same story: years of misdiagnosis, shame, and thinking they were “too hormonal” or "too emotional" before finall

Living with ADHD already means navigating a brain that runs on its own rhythm, quick starts, sudden stops, bursts of focus followed by exhaustion. For many, the days before a period don’t just bring mood swings or cramps; they bring a tidal wave. Ordinary ADHD challenges, losing focus mid-task, forgetting what you walked into a room for, feeling emotions at full volume, become amplified. It’s not “just PMS.” It’s the nervous system colliding with hormonal change , and the imp

For years, one of my clients lived in silence with painful cycles . As a teenager, she masked her discomfort because no one in her family had experienced the same struggles. After becoming a mother, her body felt like a stranger: “One day I was fine, the next, I was consumed by rage or despair. It felt like I was losing my mind.” Doctors suggested antidepressants. Friends told her she was “just hormonal.” But deep down, she knew something bigger was happening. It wasn’t until

For decades, premenstrual changes were dismissed as moodiness or exaggeration. Today, research has made it clear, premenstrual disorders are real , neurobiological conditions  that affect millions worldwide. Yet, even now, terms are often confused. Many people know about PMS , fewer have heard of PME , and most have only recently encountered  PMDD . Understanding how these conditions differ, and overlap is essential for accurate diagnosis, compassionate support, and effective

Just as many people learn to recognise patterns of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) , PME (Premenstrual Exacerbation) , or PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder)  in their reproductive years, the transition into perimenopause  can bring new layers of complexity. For some, symptoms intensify; for others, they shift shape in ways that are confusing or destabilising. Understanding how these conditions interact with perimenopause is key to managing health, relationships , and daily li

For centuries, menstruation has been surrounded by stigma , misunderstanding, and silence. While many people experience mild changes in mood, energy, and body during their cycle, for some, the symptoms are severe, life-disrupting , and cyclical, appearing predictably in the luteal phase and easing after menstruation begins. Today, we know this as Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), but recognition of PMDD as a diagnosable condition has been a long and contested journe

Throughout the month, your cycle shifts and hormones fluctuate , which affects both your body and mind. This blog will guide you through the differences between PMS, PMT, and PMDD, explaining what they actually mean, how they differ, and how you can support your cycle to flow through your feminine rhythm with more ease. Premenstrual Tension (PMT) to Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) Premenstrual Tension (PMT) is one of the earliest terms used to describe what many women experi

I first sensed something was deeply off when I was 13. My moods cratered with each cycle . I was misdiagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder , and I carried that weight for years. I left home in search of relief, I studied tantric yoga in Guatemala, wandered through monasteries in India, trained in MMA in Mexico’s deserts, and learned Muay Thai in Thailand, each practice helping me reclaim strength, presence, and a sense of agency in a body that betrayed me every mont