31. The PMDD Warrior Trap & What Actually Works
Thu Feb 05 2026
The PMDD Warrior Trap – What Actually Works
The language we use to describe our PMDD experience matters more than you think. In this episode, Jes challenges the popular "PMDD warrior" mentality and reveals why positioning yourself at war with your body might be the very thing hindering your healing. She offers a compassionate reframe that transforms how you relate to your symptoms and ultimately supports true healing.
What You'll Learn in This Episode:
Why the warrior mentality keeps you stuck – Fighting your body creates chronic nervous system activation, preventing the safety your body needs to heal and making you miss important signals your symptoms are trying to communicate
The hidden cost of battle language – How war metaphors create internal fragmentation, automatic negative thoughts like "my body is betraying me," and perpetuate a victim mindset that blocks integration and wholeness
What your symptoms are really trying to tell you – Your body isn't the enemy; it's communicating unmet needs, unprocessed emotions, and unsustainable patterns through your symptoms
The powerful shift from warrior to witness – Moving from fighting to curiosity, from control to collaboration, and treating your body like a scared, suffering child rather than an adversary
Practical reframes that support actual healing – Creating safety over strength, asking "what does my body need?" instead of "how do I fix this?", and directing your warrior energy outward at systems, not inward at your body
How to integrate rather than separate – Understanding that PMDD isn't something you have, it's something you're experiencing in response to multiple factors, and healing requires working with your cyclical nature, not against it
Resources Mentioned:
ACOG statement on menstrual cycle as vital sign (2015) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26595586/
AAP statement on menstrual cycle as vital sign (2016) https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/118/5/2245/69874/Menstruation-in-Girls-and-Adolescents-Using-the?autologincheck=redirected#
Episode 9: What Healing PMDD Actually Looks Like (link this previous episode)
Help us spread PMDD Awareness and Hope:: Rate & Review This Podcast
PMDD awareness saves lives. Your 30-second review could be the reason another woman finally finds this podcast and discovers she's not alone, she's not "crazy," and there is hope. The woman who finds us because of your review might be in her darkest moment, searching for answers just like you once did. Please take a moment to rate PMDD Pep Talk and share how this podcast has helped you.
Every review spreads awareness. Every bit of awareness has the power to save lives.
_________________________________
Watch the episode on Youtube:
https://youtu.be/vxIjPxkEglw
_________________________________
You can find Jes:
Instagram: @hermoodmentor
Youtube: @hermoodmentor
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.
Ready to learn how to reduce and manage your PMDD symptoms?
✦︎ Join us in the PMDD Rehab Course.
✦︎ Work with us Schedule your Intro Session with our onboarding team and lets run your symptom assessment!
More
The PMDD Warrior Trap – What Actually Works The language we use to describe our PMDD experience matters more than you think. In this episode, Jes challenges the popular "PMDD warrior" mentality and reveals why positioning yourself at war with your body might be the very thing hindering your healing. She offers a compassionate reframe that transforms how you relate to your symptoms and ultimately supports true healing. What You'll Learn in This Episode: Why the warrior mentality keeps you stuck – Fighting your body creates chronic nervous system activation, preventing the safety your body needs to heal and making you miss important signals your symptoms are trying to communicate The hidden cost of battle language – How war metaphors create internal fragmentation, automatic negative thoughts like "my body is betraying me," and perpetuate a victim mindset that blocks integration and wholeness What your symptoms are really trying to tell you – Your body isn't the enemy; it's communicating unmet needs, unprocessed emotions, and unsustainable patterns through your symptoms The powerful shift from warrior to witness – Moving from fighting to curiosity, from control to collaboration, and treating your body like a scared, suffering child rather than an adversary Practical reframes that support actual healing – Creating safety over strength, asking "what does my body need?" instead of "how do I fix this?", and directing your warrior energy outward at systems, not inward at your body How to integrate rather than separate – Understanding that PMDD isn't something you have, it's something you're experiencing in response to multiple factors, and healing requires working with your cyclical nature, not against it Resources Mentioned: ACOG statement on menstrual cycle as vital sign (2015) https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26595586/ AAP statement on menstrual cycle as vital sign (2016) https://publications.aap.org/pediatrics/article/118/5/2245/69874/Menstruation-in-Girls-and-Adolescents-Using-the?autologincheck=redirected# Episode 9: What Healing PMDD Actually Looks Like (link this previous episode) Help us spread PMDD Awareness and Hope:: Rate & Review This Podcast PMDD awareness saves lives. Your 30-second review could be the reason another woman finally finds this podcast and discovers she's not alone, she's not "crazy," and there is hope. The woman who finds us because of your review might be in her darkest moment, searching for answers just like you once did. Please take a moment to rate PMDD Pep Talk and share how this podcast has helped you. Every review spreads awareness. Every bit of awareness has the power to save lives. _________________________________ Watch the episode on Youtube: https://youtu.be/vxIjPxkEglw _________________________________ You can find Jes: Instagram: @hermoodmentor Youtube: @hermoodmentor 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. Ready to learn how to reduce and manage your PMDD symptoms? ✦︎ Join us in the PMDD Rehab Course. ✦︎ Work with us Schedule your Intro Session with our onboarding team and lets run your symptom assessment!