finding natural relief from PMS and PMDD with menstrual cycle awareness

If you experience intense mood swings, anxiety, or depression around your period, you’re not alone. In this episode, we’re diving deep into the effects of PMS, PMDD, and hormonal birth control on our mental and emotional health, exploring how these cycles shape our mood and well-being. Recently, I discovered the practice of Menstrual Cycle Awareness (MCA) through the work of Alexandra Pope and Sjanie Hugo Wurlitzer, founders of RedSchool. This framework, which sees the menstrual cycle as a series of inner “seasons,” has been a game-changer in helping me navigate emotional waves and manage severe premenstrual symptoms—including those intense enough to qualify for PMDD.Together, we’ll unpack how period stigma has shaped our understanding of menstrual health, often leaving out crucial insights that can help us reclaim a sense of control. You’ll learn about the four distinct phases of the menstrual cycle and how becoming attuned to these natural rhythms can support emotional regulation. We’ll also explore the impact of hormonal birth control on mood, examining how it can sometimes exacerbate symptoms of emotional dysregulation.Additional topics include:The difference between PMS and PMDD, and whether premenstrual symptoms should be considered a mental disorderCultural attitudes and rites around menstruation from around the worldPractical steps to begin practicing MCA for improved mental health and well-beingThe potential benefits of seed cycling for managing mood swings tied to the menstrual cycleThis episode is a guide to understanding the power of the menstrual cycle—a power many of our mothers and grandmothers didn’t have the chance to share with us. Whether you’re struggling with intense symptoms or simply curious about a new approach to emotional regulation, this conversation offers valuable insights for reconnecting with your body and finding greater balance.Recommended resources:■ Flo Period Tracking app (I use the free version)■ Think Dirty Shop Clean App■ Wild Power (book that explains MCA and the inner seasons)■ Blog article by Rising Woman that breaks down the inner seasons one by oneCraving more? Become a Premium Submarine. Join an exclusive community and unlock hundreds of hours of members-only content: full-length episodes, deep-dive series, guided meditations, and more—all for the cost of a couple of coffees a month. Start exploring at backfromtheborderline.com.The information contained in this podcast episode is for educational and entertainment purposes only and is not intended as a substitute for treatment or consultation with a licensed mental health professional. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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I don’t want to talk to your personality; I want to talk to your soul. Imagine if your most painful and debilitating mental health symptoms and self-sabotaging behaviors aren’t evidence of 'disorder' or 'dysfunction', but adaptive strategies that once kept you safe. My goal is to help you shift from asking ‘What’s wrong with me?’ to ‘What happened to me?’The word ‘borderline’ in this podcast has nothing to do with psychiatric labels. It has everything to do with coming back from the inner psychological brink we all experience. Everyone has found themselves on the edge, in that liminal space where the old self falls apart and the new Self emerges. Here, we explore what it means to undergo true emotional alchemy: that ancient and primordial process of falling apart, confronting the underworld of our psyche, and falling back together into someone stronger, wiser, and more whole.Many highly sensitive people who identify with the seemingly never-ending list of diagnostic mental health labels contained within ‘the bible of psychiatry’ (the DSM) share the same underlying sense of being irreparably broken, disconnected from their intuition, and paralyzed by life’s existential questions. I believe the resulting—and perfectly understandable—chronic feelings of emptiness and spiritual starvation are the TRUE causes of our current collective ‘mental health crisis.’Together, we’ll dive into depth psychology, mythology, human consciousness, critical psychiatry, and the impact of trauma to help you begin the process of emotional alchemy. This exploration will help you get to the root cause of your suffering and free yourself from the toxic shame, limiting beliefs, and mental programming that have kept you locked in the chains of your past.In an era where mental health and spirituality are too often commercialized, I’m not here as a guru with a quick fix to sell you. I don’t believe anyone is ever truly ‘healed’ or ‘cured.’ There is no return to some mythical state of pre-trauma purity, but rather a continuous spiral of unbecoming, unlearning, and transformation. As a fellow seeker, I will be there in your ear, walking alongside you on your path toward wholeness as a sort of parasocial big sister. That, I can promise.By integrating the concepts we explore together, you’ll begin to see that anyone—even you—can come back from the borderline.CRAVING MORE? Visit backfromtheborderline.com to dive into my universe, connect with me, access my Patreon, and discover more about my journey and work. Don’t forget to follow Back from the Borderline so new episodes on Tuesdays and Thursdays automatically drop into your podcast feed. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.