Ever notice how your negative thoughts or inner critic get particularly loud during certain times of your cycle? Those persistent negative thoughts aren't just in your head - they're a real phenomenon called Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs), and they have a fascinating relationship with PMDD. What Are Automatic Negative Thoughts (ANTs), Anyway? ANTs are like little mental saboteur[...]
PMDD and sleep have a two-way relationship - they can both help or harm each other. PMDD can disrupt your sleep with problems like insomnia, waking up frequently at night, and feeling unrested even after sleeping. 1 Poor sleep can hurt your focus and make you drowsy, affecting your performance at work or school.2 Disrupted sleep can intensify PMDD symptoms like fatigue, irritability, and[...]
“It’s just bad PMS,” they said, trying to be helpful. I smiled politely, but inside I felt that familiar ache of being misunderstood. Like many others with PMDD symptoms, I’ve heard this well-meaning but oversimplified comparison countless times. If you’ve ever searched for ‘PMDD vs PMS’ or been told your symptoms are ‘just PMS,’ you’re not alone. While the intentio[...]
Here at Her Mood Mentor, we stay on top of the latest research on treating Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD). The two treatments in Western medicine are (1) an SSRI for PMDD (2) hormonal birth control. When it comes to integrative medicine protocols, there are many, including nutritional therapy, regular exercise, sleep hygiene, and stress management.While I teach natural healing met[...]
Like many of us experiencing PMDD symptoms, I used to feel completely bewildered by how quickly I could go from handling life's challenges with relative ease to feeling completely overwhelmed by the smallest setback. It wasn't until I started wearing my Garmin device that the pieces of this puzzle started coming together. The data I was seeing wasn't just numbers – it was validation[...]
The Depression. The Dysphoria. The Emotional Pain. You are in a deep, deep hole in the forest and believe you will never come out. Life is meaningless. You are meaningless. Worthless. Everything hurts too much. More than you can bear. Overwhelming emotion. Anxiety a consistent friend - In a breath, a grey veneer has been swept over the world[...]
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a chronic and cyclical, reproductive mood disorder. Symptoms of PMDD present 7-14 days before menstruation during the premenstrual or luteal phase of the cycle and usually improve once the menstruation starts. The condition affects up to an estimated 8% of reproductive aged women1. While PMDD isn't caused by hormone imbalances, many people with PM[...]