My Journey with PMDD When the Cycle Feels Like a Storm

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 month and had been through years of shame and emotional abuse.

More Than “Bad PMS”

PMS causes fatigue, bloating, mood swings. But with PMDD, it can feel like a completely different person has taken over. It’s not just irritability, it’s debilitating emotional pain, overwhelming anxiety, internal chaos, and sometimes dark thoughts.

What sets PMDD apart is the intensity, consistency, and the way it can derail your life. Tasks you can easily handle in your follicular and ovulation phase feel impossible during the luteal phase and then begins deteriorate your sense of self trust. Half the month I felt like Superwoman and the other half I could barely get out of bed I felt so suicidal.

The Symptoms I Lived Through

Everybody is different, but here’s a snapshot of what PMDD looked like in my life:

• Emotional volatility including sudden tears, rage and a horrible sense of internal dread and emptiness

• Crushing sadness, guilt and spiralling self-doubt

• Anxiety, restlessness, feeling “on edge”

• Brain fog, trouble focusing, constant fatigue and binge eating

• Sleep disruptions, and sleep anxiety

• Binge eating and cravings

• Challenges in relationships

• Feeling disconnected from the world and from myself

It was lonely, confusing, and terrifying. I felt gaslit by everyone around me and I couldn't even trust my emotion. It felt like my body was betraying me. Many days I wondered if I’d always be that person who cried every month.

What Puts You at Higher Risk

We still don’t have all the answers, but research and personal stories point to these risk factors:

• Sensitivity to shifting hormones

• Genetics or family history of mood disorders

• Low baseline serotonin or other neurotransmitter vulnerabilities

• A history of trauma or emotional wounds

• Coexisting conditions like ADHD (which can intensify the cycle)

  
  

If these resonate, and your symptom pattern aligns, you’re not imagining it, you deserve support. Connecting with others in the Support Group has been one of the pillars of my healing path.

What Helped Me Navigate My Cycle

Healing from PMDD was cyclical for me, it was about utilising each cycle, and particularly my luteal phase to see where my triggers were and what needed attention.

1. Track the Cycle and Habit Change

I journaled my emotions, every craving, every shift. Over time, I could see the pattern. I began to look deeper into consistency and slowly started building a healthy workout plan that involved HIIT workouts, even just 10 minutes a day in my luteal phase, to ease the internal tension. These may seem like small things but over time these small habits started to build a deeper sense of self trust.

2. Grounding & Body-Based Practice

"Years of emotional distress and nervous system sensitivity meant my body held a load of stored trauma. As I learned more about my body sensations and somatic healing, I began combining these practices with meditation and breathwork to release the visceral trauma from my body. In the Somatic Course, I weave together everything I’ve learned through my own healing and from working with women in the PMDD community, offering practices that meet your body with compassion, not force."

3. One-on-One Coaching

When the waves feel uncontrollable, strategy brings stability. At The Feminine Rhythm, our 1-1 Coaching offers personalised support rooted in your cycle, inner healing, somatic work, and compassion-focused practices. Together, we help you build inner strength and feel empowered within your body’s natural rhythms.

4. Community & Shared Stories

PMDD hides in shame and thrives in silence. You don't have to suffer in silence. When you share your story, in a loving environment you begin to heal!

Listening to voices like mine in the Podcast on my PMDD story and supporting others in the Support Group reminds me I’m not alone.

There is Hope

PMDD changed me. It broke me, and then as I began to connect with my cycle, it became the very thing that signposted me to my healing. Through this process, I learned how to navigate my deepest wounds and slowly rediscover my true femininity. This is why I help other woman to now find that freedom and empowerment.

1. American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (ACOG). (2024). Clinical Practice Guidelines on the Management of Premenstrual Disorders. These guidelines provide comprehensive recommendations for diagnosis and multimodal treatment options, including SSRIs, hormonal therapies, and psychological counselling. They emphasize personalized care tailored to patient symptoms.

2. Mishra S. (2023). Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. StatPearls. This source details DSM-5 diagnostic criteria for PMDD, including symptomatology and the impact on daily functioning.

3. Brar TK et al. (2020). Prevalence of PMDD in Women with ADHD. Journal of Affective Disorders. This research discusses the higher prevalence of PMDD among those with ADHD, relevant for linking both conditions [original article reference].

4. Recent integrative framework on PMDD (2025) explores the role of trauma, sensory processing sensitivity, and interoceptive dysfunction as contributing factors alongside hormonal fluctuations, highlighting the complexity of PMDD symptom presentations and need for holistic treatment approaches.

5. Hofmeister S., & Bodden, S. (2016). Premenstrual Syndrome and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. American Family Physician. Reviews diagnostic criteria and symptom management strategies.