PMDD Pep Talk

In this episode of PMDD Pep Talk, Jes dives into how understanding and aligning with your core values can help you navigate the challenging waters of PMDD. Discover how these deeply personal guideposts can bridge the gap between who you are at your core and the person PMDD sometimes makes you think you are. You won’t find a cure-all solution, but you’ll find a meaningful compass to steer you back to yourself.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

How PMDD alters perception and self-identity beyond just mood.
The role core values play in anchoring your identity despite PMDD symptoms.
How your values can help break cycles of guilt and shame.
Why values work is crucial and where it fits within therapeutic approaches like Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.
How reflecting on values improves decision-making and emotional regulation.
The importance of doing values work before high-stress PMDD episodes.

Key Quotes from This Episode:

"PMDD might feel like your whole story, but it's just a chapter, and you get to write what comes next."

"Your core values are the compass that points you back to who you really are."

"The compass doesn't keep you from taking a wrong turn, but it can help you to find your way back."

"When you repeat those behaviors over and over, it becomes your quality of life, so it is a little self-fulfilling prophecy with PMDD."

Resources Mentioned:

See links below for all HMM resources.

HMM Resources + Services

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/pmdd-resources

_________________________________

Listen to the PMDD Pep Talk Podcast

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/podcasts/pmdd-pep-talk-2

_________________________________

You can find Jes:

Instagram: @hermoodmentor https://www.instagram.com/hermoodmentor/

Youtube: @hermoodmentor https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCScMMMsmLZDfzjZEQ-1l9lA

Website: https://hermoodmentor.com/

_________________________________

Looking for more support?

✦︎ Grab our FREE Symptom Mapping Kit, the first step to healing instead of dealing with your symptoms is to map your symptom pattern.

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/symptommappingkit

✦︎ Work with us. Schedule your Intro Session with our onboarding team and let's run your symptom assessment!

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/offers/Amd9gW98

In this episode of PMDD Pep Talk, Jes unpacks why PMDD often makes us push loved ones away, using the powerful metaphor of drowning. Discover how to navigate these turbulent waters without feeling overwhelmed by guilt or shame, and learn practical strategies for creating a support system that truly understands your challenges.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

Understand the metaphor of the "drowning girl" and how it relates to PMDD.
Differentiate between shame and guilt, and learn how each affects your healing.
Discover the importance of preparing a support system on "dry land" before PMDD symptoms strike.
Recognize the instinctive survival responses during PMDD episodes.
Identify tools and strategies to communicate and coordinate with your support network effectively.

Key Quotes from This Episode:

"You cannot heal from a place of 'I am broken, I am the problem, I am bad...'"

"Drowning does not look like drowning, and neither does PMDD."

"A drowning person will drown the lifeguard... this is just so relevant for PMDD."

"We need more self-compassion, and that starts with understanding the drowning girl metaphor."

Resources Mentioned:

See links below for all HMM resources.

HMM Resources + Services

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/pmdd-resources

_________________________________

Listen to the PMDD Pep Talk Podcast

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/podcasts/pmdd-pep-talk-2

_________________________________

You can find Jes:

Instagram: @hermoodmentor https://www.instagram.com/hermoodmentor/

Youtube: @hermoodmentor https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCScMMMsmLZDfzjZEQ-1l9lA

Website: https://hermoodmentor.com/

_________________________________

Looking for more support?

✦︎ Grab our FREE Symptom Mapping Kit, the first step to healing instead of dealing with your symptoms is to map your symptom pattern.

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/symptommappingkit

✦︎ Work with us. Schedule your Intro Session with our onboarding team and let's run your symptom assessment!

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/offers/Amd9gW98

When Jo joined us on the podcast, she shared her journey with PMDD, a condition she had been living with since age 13 but couldn't name for most of that time. For over two decades she was dealing with debilitating hormonal mood symptoms that were affecting her relationships, her memory, her sense of self, and nearly every area of her daily life.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

How Jo spent more than 20 years with PMDD before she had a name for what was happening.
The intense irritability and rejection sensitivity that strained her relationships with family and partners.
Why brain fog, memory loss, and a persistent mental block became some of her hardest symptoms to live with.
What a full week of recovery after every PMDD episode actually cost her.
How years of doctors, SSRIs, and a copper IUD left her feeling worse instead of better.
The moment on Instagram when PMDD came up and everything finally made sense.
Why she calls her HTMA the most productive test she has done so far.
How mineral correction, dietary shifts, and personalized support changed her memory, her mornings, and her relationships.

Key Quotes from This Episode:

"My memory has gotten so much better. That's been a big thing."

"I'm a lot happier now than I have been most of my life."

"I can find support for myself and I don't have to worry or feel ashamed of myself."

"I don't take things as personal, I feel more connected, not so distant."

"This is the happiest I've ever been."

The Bigger Picture:

Jo's story shows that 20+ years of suffering doesn't have to be the whole story. Through root cause testing, mineral rebalancing, nutritional shifts, and a community that finally understood what she was going through, Jo found a version of herself she had never fully met before, and she's still becoming her.

What This Means For You:

Jo's transformation shows that PMDD doesn't have to run your life, your relationships, or your sense of self. With the right approach and support, you can:

Finally understand what's actually driving your symptoms
Reclaim your memory, focus, and emotional steadiness
Show up differently at home, at work, and in your relationships
Break free from the shame spiral that keeps so many of us stuck
Experience a version of yourself that feels secure, connected, and genuinely happy

♥ If this podcast has ever made you feel seen, less alone, or more hopeful in your healing, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review PMDD Pep Talk. Your words don't just help us grow, they help someone in the depths of their cycle find this support when they need it most. Every subscribe click, rate, and review helps us reach more people who are still suffering in silence.

Resources Mentioned:

See links below for all HMM resources.

HMM Resources + Services

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/pmdd-resources

_________________________________

Listen to the PMDD Pep Talk Podcast

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/podcasts/pmdd-pep-talk-2

_________________________________

You can find Jes:

Instagram: @hermoodmentor https://www.instagram.com/hermoodmentor/

Youtube: @hermoodmentor https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCScMMMsmLZDfzjZEQ-1l9lA

Website: https://hermoodmentor.com/

_________________________________

Looking for more support?

✦︎ Grab our FREE Symptom Mapping Kit, the first step to healing instead of dealing with your symptoms is to map your symptom pattern.

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/symptommappingkit

✦︎ Work with us. Schedule your Intro Session with our onboarding team and let's run your symptom assessment!

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/offers/Amd9gW98

In this episode of PMDD Pep Talk, Jes introduces the concept of "state changing," a powerful, yet simple approach to managing PMDD-related rage and overwhelm. Drawing from personal experiences and insights, Jes shares practical tools that can help shift your body's response during heightened emotional states. Discover how you can navigate these challenges with proactive strategies that go beyond traditional calming techniques.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

The importance of state changing for PMDD management.
Why calming down or meditation may not work during high escalation states.
Simple, effective state change strategies you can use anywhere, anytime.
The role of physical activity in managing stress hormones and emotions.
How changing your environment can powerfully affect your mental state.
The benefits of small acts of kindness during emotional spirals.
How somatic techniques like humming can help reset your nervous system.
The difference between state changing and avoiding feelings.

Key Quotes from This Episode:

"When your alarm is loud, you are moving out of a conscious ability to be in a thinking state."

"A state change is when you deliberately do something that shifts your physical state or your surroundings so that your emotional state has something to follow."

"You change your kid state, you change your animal state. You are allowed to change your own state."

"The spiral was anchored to the place that you were physically in."

Resources Mentioned:

- Episode 46 - Escalation Patterns with PMDD

- Episode 33 - Nervous System Regulation

- Episode 40 - Building Your PMDD Emergency Kit

HMM Resources + Services

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/pmdd-resources

_________________________________

Listen to the PMDD Pep Talk Podcast

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/podcasts/pmdd-pep-talk-2

_________________________________

You can find Jes:

Instagram: @hermoodmentor https://www.instagram.com/hermoodmentor/

Youtube: @hermoodmentor https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCScMMMsmLZDfzjZEQ-1l9lA

Website: https://hermoodmentor.com/

_________________________________

Looking for more support?

✦︎ Grab our FREE Symptom Mapping Kit— The first step to healing instead of dealing with your symptoms is to map your symptom pattern.

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/symptommappingkit

✦︎ Work with us. Schedule your Intro Session with our onboarding team and let's run your symptom assessment!

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/offers/Amd9gW98

When Allie joined us on the podcast, she shared how PMDD hijacked her life for nearly two years, starting after a concussion that triggered symptoms so severe and relentless she was suffering for 25 days out of every cycle.

What You'll Learn in This Episode:

How a concussion became the trigger point for nearly two years of severe PMDD symptoms.
What it looks like to be symptomatic for 25 days out of every cycle.
The severe depression, anxiety, panic attacks, and intrusive thoughts Allie lived with.
Why paranoia, brain fog, and disorientation left her feeling completely outside her own body.
How sleep paralysis, nightmares, headaches, tinnitus, and worsening Crohn's symptoms stacked on top of each other.
What countless ER visits and scans did and didn't tell her.
Why temporary relief through birth control still wasn't her long term answer.
How symptom mapping, nutrition, supplementation, nervous system regulation, and cycle phase education reduced her moderate to severe symptoms by roughly 8 days per cycle.

Key Quotes from This Episode:

"Living felt like a fight every single day, just to get up in the morning, take a shower, go to work. That was pulling teeth."

"The doom and irritability is at an all-time low. And no cramps, which I loved."

"It is possible to work through this. It's possible to feel better. It takes a lot, but the natural approach is every penny worth it."

"You're not alone. Stay in that fight. There is light at the end of the tunnel."

The Bigger Picture:

Allie's story shows that PMDD, even when it spans nearly your entire cycle and every doctor has sent you home with no answers, can be understood, reduced, and managed with the right root cause approach.

What This Means For You:

Allie's transformation shows PMDD doesn't have to be your whole story. With the right support, you can:

Reclaim days, even weeks, of your month from severe symptoms
Understand your cycle phases and stop being blindsided by your own body
Build nervous system tools that work before symptoms escalate
Address root causes like gut health and nutrient depletion keeping you stuck
Finally have the energy and capacity to pursue the life you want

♥ If this podcast has ever made you feel seen, less alone, or more hopeful in your healing, please take a moment to subscribe, rate, and review PMDD Pep Talk. Your words don't just help us grow, they help someone in the depths of their cycle find this support when they need it most. Every subscribe click, rate, and review helps us reach more people who are still suffering in silence.

Resources Mentioned:

See links below for all HMM resources.

HMM Resources + Services

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/pmdd-resources

_________________________________

Listen to the PMDD Pep Talk Podcast

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/podcasts/pmdd-pep-talk-2

_________________________________

You can find Jes:

Instagram: @hermoodmentor https://www.instagram.com/hermoodmentor/

Youtube: @hermoodmentor https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCScMMMsmLZDfzjZEQ-1l9lA

Website: https://hermoodmentor.com/

_________________________________

Looking for more support?

✦︎ Grab our FREE Symptom Mapping Kit, the first step to healing instead of dealing with your symptoms is to map your symptom pattern.

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/symptommappingkit

✦︎ Work with us. Schedule your Intro Session with our onboarding team and let's run your symptom assessment!

https://courses.hermoodmentor.com/offers/Amd9gW98