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Swamini's PMDD Story
"Healing is feeling calm in situations that used to trigger you"- Gaur Gopal Das.
I read this quote today and it struck a chord. 2022, the year when everything started falling through the cracks for me and I was made aware of my diagnosis of PMDD. While I struggled and resurfaced many times by myself, I realised soon enough that I couldn't do this alone. The person that I was, that my husband and kids knew me as, was fading away and not in a memorable way. I came across IAPMD and its resources and joined the PMDD support group led by Amy Sergeant! Boy! They say hindsight is 20/20 and today I know that that particular support group was THE turning point in my healing process. I was truly grateful for Amy's approach toward women in their journey and was encouraged to hear that we heal ourselves through what emotions and moods PMDD throws at us and that is the most grounding way to pass through this dark cloud.
I am supremely grateful for all the counselors and IAPMD volunteers who do this as a goodwill and donate their time to run these groups! LIfe still wasn't as pretty as it could be with once a week group sessions but it was promising. I started to build more awareness around the tools that I need, the habits that I need to develop such as breathing practices, meditation practices, movement, good nutrition and I had a long way to go!
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A few months in, I started to have many 'hell weeks' that Amy reframed for PMDD warriors as Healing weeks. I saw the connection between Lunar cycles and my mood fluctuations and what I can do to better understand my body and my mind. Amy started Somatic Yoga sessions and those gave me more tools to add to my toolkit when I would be in my darkest phases and struggling through many baggage’s I needed to heal from. My big breakthroughs started happening after 1-1 sessions with Amy. We were able to delve deeper into my 'stuck points/triggers' and work my way through reframing my mind, accepting my emotions and codependent tendencies, journaling and most importantly facing the journey head on. Trust me, I have been through 1-1 counseling sessions with other therapists that were separate from these sessions with Amy and Amy is one ‘healer’ that focuses on rebuilding your resilience, your strength of character and not signing into your blame game of the world around you. My panic attacks, my triggers, my breakdowns are my responsibility EVEN THOUGH PMDD plays a huge role.
In my darkest times, I would stare at the full moon from the back seat of my car sitting in a parking lot asking "why me"? A year and a half later, I can identify my triggers and choose to work through them one moment at a time and believing in the safe space I created. PMDD has definitely made my journey harder but it has also helped me heal and having Amy's guidance and authentic support is one thing I will forever be grateful for and I hope to carry on my healing journey, one emotion at a time. Now when I see the full moon, I smile and ask, "what is it that I need to heal through".
To all my fellow warriors, trust the journey and find your trusted advisor. You dont have to do it alone and you certainly arent alone!
Kelcy's PMDD Story
Living with PMDD felt like navigating a lonely, dark abyss. I was grappling for control, yet everything felt uncontrollable. Desperation and hopelessness were constant companions. I didn’t have a community to connect with or anyone who could relate to what I was going through. It often felt like I was living this monthly nightmare all alone. Then I discovered Amy and her PMDD somatic course. For the first time, I was surrounded by kindred spirits who spoke a language I could understand.​
As someone who also battles ADHD and struggles with retaining information, I appreciated how Amy made everything manageable. She guided us in being present with our feelings, grounding ourselves in our bodies, and learning to self-soothe through various somatic practices. Simple acts like rocking or gently caressing ourselves felt nurturing, reminiscent of the comfort I needed as a child. The breathing techniques she taught were like love notes to my body.
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​As a facilitator and co-creator, Amy embodies presence, compassion, gentleness, and kindness. She has an incredible ability to hold space for all of us. Given my PMDD, consistency can be a challenge, especially during my luteal phase, but showing up every week and being part of this community helped me cultivate faith and trust in myself. Amy always encourages us to participate in whatever way we need—whether that means keeping our cameras off or simply sitting in silence. There were moments when I'd sit or lie on the floor, and that was perfectly okay. It’s not about performing or fitting into a mold; it's about embracing whatever you need at the moment and just being.
For me, that’s where the healing truly began. Learning about the different cycles and what was happening in my body has been incredibly empowering. It's liberating to recognize that at various times throughout the month, I can only expect so much from myself—and that’s perfectly fine. I wholeheartedly recommend Amy’s course. I’m immensely grateful for her presence; she is a beacon of light for many women.
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