PMDD Education Canada

06/26/2025

Hello, all! I received a message this morning from someone looking for a PMDD tracking chart that is in French, does anyone here know where they could find one? Or if you know of a good (free) document/pdf translator that could translate the IAPMD chart from English to French, that could also work. Thanks!

09/29/2024

Hello my fellow PMDD warriors ❤️

I have started a coaching practice and wanted to offer sessions here pro-bono or pay what you can. We can chat any topic that is top of mind, including PMDD of course. The purpose of coaching is to partner up and explore whatever topics, problems, roadblock, goals that you are currently (or chronically) struggling with in order to help you gain deeper self-awareness, compassion, and trust. In other words, coaching is a space where it is all about YOU, with the purpose of becoming more of yourself (and hopefully more content in your life).

You can book something here https://calendly.com/eryn-speers/60min, or shoot me a message and we can coordinate something.

- Eryn

08/13/2024

Most of us here already know how PMDD typically presents and how debilitating it can be, but if anyone needs a reminder that you're NOT CRAZY and it's not just "all in your head", here is a great little video by one of my favorite YT's. Hope you're all hanging in there ♥

P.S. - if you haven't seen my last post, I talk a little bit about what I've been up to lately, including starting to practice coaching, and looking in to Somatic/Nervous System work to see if it helps move the needle at all for my PMDD. I will keep you posted. Take care, y'all!

YAYYYYY my period started the day I uploaded this! Normal lady coming soonApp I mentioned: https://mevpmdd.comhttps://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditio...

08/02/2024

Hey, all. I know it has been a very long time since I made a post, but I wanted to let y'all know that I'm currently in a coaching program training to become a Life and Wellness coach! It is very exciting, and I'm loving all the content so far. (more about why this is relevant below) (TLDR at the bottom)

I had a thought that I wanted to share with y'all and I would love to know what you think.

I have been intrigued by the notion of somatic work for a while - curious as to whether it could help us ladies with PMDD or not. There is a fantastic woman named Irene Lyon who firmly believes that somatic work can help with all kinds of chronic illness. Go check her out! I love that her approach is very down-to-earth, and very much rooted in science, experience, and education. However, I'll admit that I've been peeping (lol) her content from the sidelines for a few years now, very skeptical that it can help with PMDD.

Now, while I am in this coaching program, my capacity for work is still very limited and - well - we all need an income to survive! So, while I am looking forward to get started with coaching, I'm not sure I will be able to do enough to support myself - at least not right away. So I'm re-applying for ODSP (I will let you know how this process goes).

That said! I want to give this somatic stuff a go, and let y'all know if I notice any improvement at all, but - I can't afford to pay for her program right now.

This is where the coaching program comes in (oh this is so hard and scary for me, so bear with me guys!). I need to practice coaching, and get a certain number of hours coaching in order to get my level 1 certification. I'm ready to start, and have done a couple sessions with really great feedback... SO I am wondering if I should offer sessions on a sliding scale (as I am all too familiar with financial limitations!), and bank that money to put towards the somatic program. This would be a pretty ideal "2 birds with one stone" situation. If I did this, would any of y'all be interested in a session? What do you think, good idea, bad?

I am going to make an effort to post on here more often, and keep you posted on how my endless experimentation to find a satisfactory treatment protocol for this ... frustrating disease (and yes, I do consider it a disease at this point) goes. I will be starting on a separate/new website, and possibly an instagram page that isn't solely PMDD based, but centered around my coaching, with PMDD being (unfortunately) one of my specialties.

(I will follow up shortly with a post about what coaching is and is not, so you can decide whether it would be helpful for you or not)

TLDR: Would any of y'all be interested in a coaching session with me for a small fee based on a sliding-scale system (pay what you can with a minimum of "x"), and I will use the money to try out a somatic program to see if it helps at all with PMDD (and betrayal trauma).

Thank y'all for reading and being here. Wishing you all peace and relief ♥

11/20/2022

If anyone asks me how I learned to manage my PMDD, my answer is (likely annoyingly) simple. Self-compassion. Taking things off the to-do lists on hard days. Asking for help (i.e. letting other people do the things, even imperfectly - this one is hard for me). What KC says in this video perfectly describes the number 1 way I get through every month - by letting "good enough" be perfect. This might look different for you because maybe you don't get as stressed about things being clean and tidy, and your number 1 stressor is feeling obligated to be available to the people in your life 24/7. I have no issues saying no if I'm not feeling up to hanging out or if I don't have the energy to help someone move. Your "good enough is perfect" might be saying no to invitations, saying no to bids for help, and letting other people learn to be more resourceful and self-sufficient (knowing that you're still valuable to them regardless of whether *you* fixed their problems or not). Take good care ♥

When you're burned out, taking care of yourself (or your family) can feel nearly impossible. Therapist KC Davis gets it, and she's got a message for anyone s...

04/16/2022

A little update. Sorry for the huge gaps between posts. Anyone else feel more and more burned out from the PMDD every year? Ugh. Hope everyone is safe and supported

Ovarian hormones fluctuations across the menstrual cycle are experienced by about 58% of women in their fertile age. Maladaptive brain sensitivity to these changes likely leads to the severe psychological, cognitive, and physical symptoms repeatedly experienced by women with Premenstrual Dysphoric D...

12/03/2021

This one hit home 😞 The holidays can be particularly rough when dealing with a chronic illness. This is your permission slip (OK, mine - because I need this too) to take lots of breaks, eat the comfort foods, cozy up and breathe through it. I forget it all the time - but the truth is, we’re all trying to do aLL tHe ThInGs with sometimes 1/3 of the energy of an “able bodied” person. Extend yourself some grace and remember that it takes so much resilience to keep facing each new day.

If you can, consider taking even just 5mins today to write down 5 values that you portray (even if it’s not *all the time*) that make you the awesome person that you are. It could be as simple as “I’m thoughtful”, or, “I’m creative”. Again, it doesn’t matter if you are these things all of the time every second of every day. Despite our illness we have lots of good qualities within us that bring lots of value and joy to the lives of those we are in relationship to.

Wishing you all a ☮️ December.

💚❤️💚

02/16/2020

A little update on the treatment that Asarina Pharma is developing specifically for PMDD.

They have completed the first phase of trials with a reported success rate of 80%. Phase 2 trials begin soon in Sweden.

This is just a little more info on it. It’s still a ways off before the drug hits the market, but it’s a step in the right direction.

Has everyone else here completed what I call the PMDD “rite of passage”, in which you’ve already tried the exhaustive list of possible “treatments”, only to have no lasting relief?

PMDD Rite of Passage:

- Lifestyle changes
- SSRI’s/SNRI’s
- Supplements
- Birth control
- Hormone therapy
- Alternative treatments (acupuncture, reiki, chinese medicine etc.)
- Talk therapy/psychotherapy
- CBD
- More supplements
- More lifestyle changes
- Endless amounts of sleep
- More SSRI’s

Etc.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, also known as PMDD, is often confused with PMS. But its effects can be much more severe. Still, the condition is regularly missed by doctors and little talked about among people with periods, making it even harder…

02/13/2020

Hello again, all. I am just jumping on here to say hi and welcome to any newcomers. The PMDD journey is a tough one, so please know that if you’re struggling at this time that you are so much stronger than you know!

I would also like to give a little update - and an apology - for my lengthy (2 years lengthy) absence. I went through a lot of changes in the past few years, including a rough break up, a big move, health issues, and having to leave a job that was a perfect fit for me, given how difficult it is to work with PMDD.

I have been working with a therapist for over a year now, and thought I had maybe, somehow, “beaten” my PMDD. However, last August I got very ill, and experienced a loss that sent me spiralling and into a very long hermit phase.

I’m only now returning to acceptance of my condition, and feel a little ashamed to have thought I had overcome it somehow, and then abandoning this page.

So, I’m back. I’m going to overhaul things a little, but will be back to posting updates, as well as encouraging words and constant reminders to have immense compassion for yourself. Like I have said before, our lives living with a chronic condition like PMDD are different from the lives of those unaffected by severe mental or physiological illnesses, so nobody but us can tell us what it’s like.

I hope that everyone is being kind to themselves and that you’re still finding pockets of hope for the future. Remember, PMDD has only been recognized as an official condition/diagnosis for 7 years. More and more research is being conducted, and there are even more resources available now than ever before. New treatments are in development, so hang in there with me!

Above all, remember that you are worthy of a good life, regardless what the PMDD tells you.

❤

03/22/2018

How many members suffer from bouts of rage and persistent irritability? The horrible, skin-crawling, on-the-verge-of-losing-it feeling is extremely disruptive to our lives, and exhausting to boot.

Has anyone successfully gotten to the root of the problem? Have you ever suspected excess testosterone to perhaps be the culprit?

For those members that have found a way to control this symptom, what did you do? We love to hear success stories!

“I can’t keep up with the amount of hair on my chin! At this rate, I’m going to end up in the circus as the bearded lady,” 36 year old Shannon shared in our first visit. In addition to hair on her chin, she was now shaving her belly, experiencing terribly oily skin and acne. Shannon’s symp...

12/29/2017

Did you survive another whirlwind holiday? We’re almost into the New Year, and I’m looking forward to continuing to write about and talk about in an effort to normalize it, and spread awareness with all you totally bomb-ass ladies.

Remember, you never owe anyone an apology for PMDD. You are not this horribly demanding disorder. Our lives look different because they have to - and that’s OK! Keep this in mind when moving into the New Year. Many people without any ailments or disorders craft a life in which their career/responsibilities FOLLOW their life, as opposed to being a slave to the daily grind. For those of you who struggle (like I have) with living a “normal” life, with a full-time 9-5 - I challenge you to start thinking outside of the box. How can your life/needs/lifestyle come FIRST, followed by work or volunteering that allows you to show up on a schedule that works with your PMDD.

I know this isn’t always an option - and it may not come together overnight, but just keep in mind that there is more than one path to the top of the mountain 😉 If you find yourself constantly hating on yourself for not “getting it together”, try to let some of that go and be both accepting of the limitations of your PMDD, while still moving forward with treatments and personal goals.

Don’t forget that we have a closed/private support group in conjunction with this page. I’ll post a link in the comments. I want this support group to be a safe and private place for us to vent, share thoughts and ideas, and to prop each other up! ❤

Happy New Year!

12/21/2017

Hey guys! So sorry for the lengthy silence.
This past week was eaten up by a delightful run-in with stomach flu (otherwise known as BARFageddon).

Before that I was struggling with the fallout of having withdrawn from my college program due to my PMDD making it impossible for me to keep up. I tried, but as we all know... sometimes the PMDD wins.

I’ve been taking this time to rethink what I’m going to do for a living. Still have no idea, but in the mean time... I recorded a little intro video for my YT channel about my PMDD and a little about my hopes for the channel (hint: PMDD will be a constant presence in them, and if I’m not talking about it directly, it will often be mentioned casually, as I seek to normalize it).

I know I missed a lot of things in the video, but there will be more videos in the New Year - I promise!

Hope everyone has a wonderful and stress-free holiday, and if PMDD strikes, remember to practice self-compassion. Know that you owe absolutely ZERO explanations for your fatigue, irritability, sadness, anxiousness - zero. We are the only ones that have to deal with PMDD in its entirety. Let yourself rest as much as possible.

Everyone has arms and legs - the work that needs to get done will get done - and it doesn’t have to be you! Ask for help, and don’t feel bad. PMDD isn’t YOU! It will pass. So ask for a hot chocolate, grab a blanket, and hit the couch. Try to sink in to the stillness that PMDD often demands of us - whether you need to slip away to be alone, or if you just sit quietly among your family and friends. You deserve support and love regardless of whether you’re on your “you” week/weeks or your PMDD weeks. Hang in there! ❤

Happy Holidays, my fellow PMDD warriors!

Hi guys! Just a little (LOL) intro video discussing my disorder, and what my hopes and dreams are for this channel. Enjoy! Resources: https://giaallemandfoun...