For some women, premenstrual changes go far beyond the usual ups and downs. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) is a severe form of premenstrual syndrome that can cause intense mood swings, anxiety, depression, fatigue, and physical symptoms that seriously disrupt your life.
It can feel unpredictable and overwhelming – as if your body and emotions are working against you. Many of the women I’ve worked with describe PMDD as if their emotions “take over”, creating conflict, self-doubt, and even breakdowns in relationships.
While PMDD definitely isn’t “all in the mind,” there is a profound mind-body connection at work. Hormonal shifts act almost like a magnifying glass, bringing up emotions and old patterns that are usually pushed down. What shows up physically and emotionally is often the body’s way of drawing attention to what lies unresolved at a deeper level. Hypnotherapy offers a way to meet those emotions, understand them, and resolve the root cause.
How hypnotherapy supports women with PMDD
I use Rapid Transformational Therapy (RTT), a powerful method that combines regression, parts therapy, and other hypnotherapy techniques. The aim isn’t just to manage symptoms, but to uncover and release the emotional root causes behind them.
One thing I see time and again is that it’s not always the event itself that hurts us the most, but what we come to believe about ourselves because of it. A parent snapping in a moment of stress might lead a child to believe “I’m a burden.” A cruel comment at school can plant the seed of “I’m not good enough.” These beliefs often sit quietly in the subconscious for years – until something like PMDD brings them forcefully to the surface.
The trauma at the root can be big – such as abuse, loss or abandonment – but often it’s small, seemingly ordinary moments from our childhood that carry lasting weight because our minds are so sensitive when we’re young. Hypnotherapy helps us uncover those root moments, reframe them, and release the outdated beliefs that no longer serve us.
Case study: Emma’s story*
(*Name changed for confidentiality.)
Emma came to me after years of struggling with PMDD. Every month, she would feel like a different person – anxious, irritable, tearful, and hopeless. Her first marriage had broken down because of the chaos PMDD created in her life, and now in a new, positive relationship, she was desperate not to lose it.
During her session, regression took her back to three key scenes:
- Scene one: At 10 years old, overhearing her parents argue. She felt powerless and decided the best way to stay safe was to keep quiet and not have needs.
- Scene two: At 14, sitting alone in the school toilets after friends had turned on her. She felt humiliated and rejected, believing she was unlikable and fundamentally flawed.
- Scene three: In her twenties, crying in front of a partner who told her she was “too emotional” and walked away. This confirmed her belief that expressing her feelings would only push people away.
In revisiting these moments, Emma realised it wasn’t just the events themselves that were painful – it was the subconscious beliefs she had formed from them: I’m too much. My feelings aren’t valid. I’m not worth sticking around for.
PMDD had become the body’s way of forcing her to face and feel what she had been suppressing for years.
Through parts work, Emma connected with the part of her that wanted to keep the peace and the part of her that longed to express emotion. These parts had been in conflict – one silencing her, the other screaming to be heard. Using hypnotherapy, they found resolution: she could be safe and expressive, valid and loved.
We anchored this new understanding with powerful hypnotic suggestions and a personalised audio recording, which she listened to daily for three weeks to embed the change.
The result
The shift in Emma’s life was profound. She reported:
- A dramatic reduction in the emotional crashes before her period
- Greater calmness and stability in her relationship, with her partner noticing the change immediately
- Feeling able to express her needs and emotions without fear of rejection
- Physical symptoms like headaches and exhaustion easing alongside the emotional transformation.
Most importantly, she no longer felt trapped by her cycle. She now feels steady, clear, and confident throughout the month, and able to live her life and enjoy her relationship without PMDD looming over her.
A compassionate path forward
Every woman’s story is unique, but the pattern is often the same: PMDD isn’t random, and it isn’t a sign of weakness. It is often the body’s way of highlighting what the mind has buried. With the right approach, those old beliefs can be uncovered and released, freeing you from the monthly storm.
At Clear Skies Hypnotherapy, I usually work with clients in a single 2-hour session, supported by a personalised audio recording to reinforce the transformation over the following weeks.👉 Book a free consultation call today to discover how hypnotherapy can help you achieve calmer cycles and a clearer mind.