Kind to Myself? How Learning Self-Kindness is Paramount to PMDD Management
One of the most common things I see as a PMDD therapist is the shame spiral. It’s that familiar self hate/self loathing we feel after a particularly bad luteal episode. We may have yelled at our coworkers, text-dumped our friends, started World War III with our partners, or (in my case), kicked the fridge in […]
How the DBT GIVE Skill Helps PMDD Relationships
No doubt about it, PMDD is tough. If you have, or love someone with PMDD, you are well versed in the emotional roller coaster that often happens each month during one’s luteal phase (the time between ovulation and period). Our closest relationships suffer the most, and often, it’s the partner who takes the brunt of […]
PMDD Awareness Month: Breaking our Silence
When I was first diagnosed in January of 2016, I was a few months shy of my 40th birthday, struggling with my mental health, and absolutely clueless about this PMDD thing. I have never heard of the DSM-5, which I was told PMDD was on, and no idea the massive challenge that would befall me […]
How PMDD Impacts Relationships and Ways to Cope Together
When clients come to us for PMDD treatment, many of them mention the toll it takes on their closest relationships. During our luteal cycle, —the days before menstruation—emotions can run high, and irritability, mood swings, and withdrawal often get directed at significant others. This can place tremendous strain on relationships, making it hard for both […]
Riding the PMDD Wave: How ABC PLEASE Can Help
One day, I feel motivated, social, and ready to take on the world. The next, I wake up feeling drained, irritable, and overwhelmed by sadness for no clear reason. I second-guess everything—my job, my relationships, even my worth. Then, almost as if on cue, I suddenly feel like me again. My period starts, and I […]
PMDD Energy Budget
The PMDD Energy Budget: Managing Fatigue and Emotional Exhaustion Have you ever felt like even the smallest tasks drain you completely? Like your energy is a currency, and some days, you’re just plain broke? If you live with PMDD (Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder), chronic illness, depression, anxiety, or burnout, managing energy isn’t just a nice idea—it’s […]
PMDD DBT Skills – How DEAR MAN Can Help
When I worked in marketing, communication was key. While written communication was never an issue, verbal communication was extremely challenging during my luteal phase. There were times I’d sit in a boardroom, seething with anger, trying to hold it together, not even close to being able to convey my points successfully. I needed some DBT […]
PMDD and the Window of Tolerance
A few months ago, I was driving my kids home from the grocery store, playfully arguing over which song to play next on our Spotify account (my son wanted Kendrick Lemar; my daughter and I Taylor Swift). I was in early luteal, so my PMDD symptoms were mild. Before I realized what was happening, a […]
The 90-Second Rule and PMDD
I remember it so clearly: a gorgeous, sunny morning in spring, I was peacefully driving to work while listening to a quiz show on the radio. I wasn’t rushing, so when I didn’t turn fast enough, the driver behind me blasted his horn. Then gave me the finger. My blissful morning was ruined. I arrived […]
Using DBT Skill STOP For PMDD
Ericka first thought something was amiss when she was 17. Usually a bubbly, fun-loving person, about a week or so before her period, she felt horrible. She was depressed, tired, angry, with bouts of crying that sometimes took hours before she stopped. At 22 in her last year of university, during extremely stressful final exams, […]
