Speaker 1 (00:20):
PMDD shaped my life for 17 years before I could name it, I spent those years searching for answers, questioning my sanity, and desperately seeking treatments that actually worked. My painful journey had an unexpected twist. Helping others heal from PMDD became my life's purpose. Hi, I'm Jess, a board certified nutritional therapist coach, the founder of her mood mentor, and your host. This is PMDD PEP Talk, A weekly reminder that your suffering is real, your experience is valid, and your future is brighter than your symptoms suggest. Each week, we're going to explore the truths about PMDD that nobody talks about, the kind of truths that shift something deep inside you and make you think maybe there's more possible than I imagined. Whether you're in the depths of luteal darkness or riding the clarity of your follicular phase, you're exactly where you need to be because here's what I know for sure.
(01:18):
Healing PMDD isn't just about managing symptoms, it's about transforming your life. This challenge, as brutal as it can be, is an invitation to know yourself more deeply and live a more joyful purpose filled life. PMDD might feel like your whole story, but it's just a chapter and you get to write what comes next. Welcome to PMDD, PEP Talk, quick pep talk, pause. Remember that everything we talk about here is meant to educate and inspire. Always team up with your healthcare provider for personal medical advice. All right, now, let's get into it. Hello, this is Jess from her Mood mentor, and today I'm meeting with one of my one-to-one clients in my nutritional therapy and coaching program for PMDD. Elena. Hi, Elena. Good to see you. Bye, Jess. Good to see you too. And we are so grateful to have you here because you're going to share the kind of nitty-gritty of what it's like to live with PMDD and give us some hope for what can happen when you work on changing it with the targeted protocol. So let's just dig in. Tell us a little bit about your PMDD journey, your experience, the symptoms you were facing, all of those juicy and also sometimes painful details.
Speaker 2 (02:35):
Yes, yes. So I guess part of the story also has to do with my A DHD journey for sure, that I hadn't been diagnosed with A DHD until the summer of 2020, and even though lots of backstory with that story, which is a whole nother one, so it wasn't January of 2021 that I ever even tracked my period. So that was the first time that started. But even then, it was in late 2022, maybe early 2023 when I had left a job that I'd been at for a long time. And I was dealing with some burnout and kind of feeling like, all right, I need to take some time off. I need to figure out what's next. And it was during that time that I was unemployed that I realized, oh, before when I was working, I would think, oh, I go through these waves of burnout, but it's because I have a really stressful job.
(03:37):
And so some weeks are really intense, and then some weeks are really good. And I didn't realize that there was this very predictable, reliable correlation between my menstrual cycle, but my mood and my emotions where I would feel just more anxious, more overwhelmed, overstimulated, harder to concentrate, and maybe just a little more pessimistic, I guess, sometimes lower energy. I never really identified with depression. But then more recently, so I guess 2024, I guess, yeah, I was now aware of this relationship between my hormonal cycle and some of my A DHD symptoms, feeling worse, and just generally feeling like, oh, things are harder during that PMS time.
(04:42):
And yeah, there was one point I was talking to one of my friends and they're like, oh, are you okay? Is everything all right? And I was like, oh, I think maybe it's luteal phase, just feeling a little more introverted or something like that. And they're like, wait, but didn't you just have your period? And I was like, oh. And I look at my app, it's like, well, I guess it's two weeks out. So yeah, I was noticing that, oh, it's not just a few days or it's not a week. This was something that it was like, oh, I feel like this is affecting me more than it's not. And so I was in a new job situation where I was getting more increasingly stressed and struggling and feeling kind of stuck with the hormonal symptoms. I'd been working with a naturopath and I'd seen some progress with the symptoms, but was feeling like I was kind of at a plateau.
(05:38):
And so learning more about PMDD is like, okay, I was seeing my symptoms were maybe starting to get worse as I was getting more stressed. And then I think most of us are familiar with that kind of cycle where it's like, we're struggling, and so then we're not doing the things that we know help us, and so it gets worse, and then we feel more discouraged and on and on. So I'd started looking into, I don't know, hormonal kinds of things. My Instagram algorithms suggesting PMDD stuff to me, and I'm looking at that more and more. And so I had come across your Instagram and found a lot of stuff that was really helpful. And so I had this kind of thinking, learning, thinking, and I had reached out to you to schedule an initial consult. And then it's like, yeah, life was busy la my symptoms were feeling even worse and more stressful.
(06:37):
My job situation felt worse and more stressful. And so we had first met in September, and then it took me a few months to actually sign up for the program. And then we were able to start meeting in January of this year. So it felt like I was kind of watching things get worse, but knowing I needed to do something and trying and knowing that I had been in places before where I was able to make some pretty significant changes and see a lot of progress, but it was really discouraging just feeling like, okay, I know some of these things, but I'm just having such a hard time getting traction. So that was kind of what led me to reaching out and to start working together.
Speaker 1 (07:31):
We all get here in different ways, but those symptoms increasing with the stress is a very common one because I mean, I wish the symptoms would just get better on their own, but so rarely, maybe it never happens. So it's great to see that you were paying attention, you were gaining awareness, you were educating yourself, and that in the meantime, you had had some success with the naturopath and you were hopeful that things could get better. Tell us a little bit about what symptoms were the most challenging for you during that time, and the work stress obviously was playing a role, but how was it impacting your quality of life, your day-to-day, those symptoms?
Speaker 2 (08:15):
Yeah. The biggest ones I think were to do with fatigue and brain fog. And sometimes it can be kind of hard to tease those apart where I would just feel really tired. It's probably hard to think too, but then maybe sometimes, or okay, maybe I'm more awake, so to speak, but it just feels really hard to think and to concentrate or just day to day, even very simple things would feel very hard. So the things that were hard for me to cope up with at work now, that felt almost impossible, where it's like, okay, I know that there are days that it's not this hard, but right now I am feeling so stuck and not knowing what to do or, but yeah, just even everyday stuff of we're getting ready to go somewhere, and my husband asked me a question, I'm like, wait, what? I felt like I kind of just had goldfish brain where it's like, okay, if there were multiple parts to a sentence, it's like I've already lost it. Just any kind of everyday thing felt very challenging.
Speaker 1 (09:44):
Look at them. They're so cute. So a lot of fatigue, brain fog, getting in the way of you working your job and doing life. Any other symptoms before we move on that were kind of getting in the way?
Speaker 2 (10:03):
Yeah, because along with that, definitely the anxiety and overwhelm. Again, they all kind of can swirl together and connect to each other where it was like, oh, if it's hard to think and I'm not able to do the things that I need to do or do things that maybe not necessarily easy, but oh, okay, easy enough, or things that I could do easily at other times that can create a greater sense of anxiety and overwhelm. How am I going to deal with this? And that overwhelm of like, oh, how are things going to get better when I feel stuck in this cycle? There are certain things where just having the awareness and being able to practice some self-compassion around that of, oh, if I'm feeling more introverted and easily overstimulated, maybe it makes sense to just not go to that social event or whatever. And that's totally fine. And instead of being like, why am I like this? It's like, oh, yeah, okay, this makes sense. But with work, I think that was one where it felt like I couldn't change the flow of my workload to match what was going on with me to be like, oh, I can't just take a week and a half or off every month,
Speaker 1 (11:28):
Which creates, like you were saying, so much more stress and more anxiety, and it can just really, they do all swirl together, like you were saying. And as the symptoms intensify, we start to see other symptoms coming in and it can, you're juggling a lot and it feels you have no motivation and you're just like, ah, someone save me right now because this is,
Speaker 2 (11:51):
Where do I go from here? Yeah. Well, and that was something we had been reflecting on earlier too, that even from the time I had reached out to you or the initial survey I had filled out that I was feeling like I was experiencing more mood symptoms or depression, low mood, more tearfulness from even the time that I had filled out the initial survey, done the consult to when we started working together. So I had seen more of that happen and some of those symptoms that I hadn't ever really experienced before. And so then that was also more anxiety, more overwhelm, but also feeling glad that I had reached out at the time I did, and to be able to bring in that additional support when I needed it most. So that was awesome.
Speaker 1 (12:43):
Yeah, it's so exciting for you to see you advocating for yourself and knowing when, hey, when is the time that I really do need some additional help here? Because when we let that go too long, it's very risky, this condition. It's very scary how dark things can get, and it feels so lonely and isolating, and you can just get sucked into that void, and that is not what we want. We are here to prevent the joy of life getting sucked out of you through the void because of PMDD. So it's great to hear you having that self-awareness for yourself of it's getting worse. It's time to do something more. Tell us about, so you said you had worked within naturopath, and I'm curious, any other things that you had tried to address these symptoms even maybe before you had a name for the PMDD, we know that SSRIs and birth control are the most common treatments for PMDD. So just tell us a little bit about before we started working together, what you tried and how that impacted you.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Yeah, I think the main things I guess had been different supplements with my naturopath that I had been experimenting with cycling magnesium, increasing the amount of magnesium I took during premenstrual phase, and I was taking a kind of five HTP based supplement, but I had a bunch of other stuff in there too.
(14:24):
And we had done some lab work and testing and stuff. So at one point I'd been trying dim DIM iron or something else. I feel like there might've been some other ones. So there were several phases where I had tried some different things and worked on balancing and trying to eat more regularly, getting more things that I've been working on with you as well that were in my consciousness of this would be good, but things I had struggled with and that I had made some progress. But then when I was feeling most stressed had been backsliding on some of those things where it's like, okay, I know this would help. And actually getting myself to do it has proved challenging.
(15:20):
And then I guess maybe if I didn't have the frame of, yeah, PMS or PM MDD in the past, I might not have considered it hormonal, but just other kinds of self-care practices like exercise, yoga, journaling, meditation, those are all things part of my self-care routines. And also something that, I don't know, just kind of a routine, a big enough change in routine that a lot of that had been disrupted when I started the job that I had most recently, such that I wasn't really doing a lot of the things that I knew helped me supportive to me. And so of course, yeah, that was going to be exacerbating things as well.
Speaker 1 (16:14):
Yeah, we can always see things so much more clearly in retrospect, can't we? And we're like, oh, where did that thing go that I knew was helping me? But the implementation and the accountability can be really hard. So tell me a little bit about what motivated you to move into our program and take this type of approach compared to what you'd been trying previously.
Speaker 2 (16:34):
Yeah. I knew that some of the things I had been working on with my naturopath had helped, and I had seen improvement. I remember, I think there was one particular luteal, phaser, this was maybe a couple years ago where I was like, oh, yeah, okay, these supplements, I'm noticing it, or, yeah, I've seen change in my symptoms. It's been long enough now. I was like, I don't have the specifics, but I knew that helped. And so I think I just knew that I needed more intensive support because my naturopath, I only see her maybe every few months or so. And so having more frequent and the program, talking about all of the aspects of health holistically, I thought would be really helpful to check in with myself in all of those areas and bring my attention to some things that maybe I wasn't paying attention to. Nutrition is something that I feel like I've not known as much about compared to other areas of wellness and maybe some other things like movement where it's like, oh, I have had a really consistent supportive practice in the past and that's really slipped. So bringing my attention back to areas where I was like, okay, I've had things that worked in the past. How can I get myself back into that?
Speaker 1 (18:10):
Yeah, yeah. So I'm hearing a combination of that accountability because we're meeting biweekly and then some clarity around what are we working on and some education, because in the PMD rehab course, we do provide education on those seven core areas of hormone health. So you can refresh, you build new strategies, you can learn about those core areas in the context of your symptoms. So it's not just general nutrition for women, it's like PMS and pm MDD nutrition because we're supporting our symptoms specifically. So I see the draw. I see the draw. I am biased, but I see what you're saying here. And tell us about how this approach was different. What did you learn through this approach? How did it shift things, if at all, for your symptoms?
Speaker 2 (19:01):
I think it was helpful to, there were some things where maybe it was review, like, oh, I might've learned some of this hormonal stuff back in college or back in high school, but not using it often enough that it's like I couldn't free recall it. These weren't things that I knew. And so to go back to that and try to integrate that a little bit more deeply to understand some of the things that are going on, I feel like I'm still doing reviews on the nutrition stuff and blood sugar and trying to deepen my understanding of that and bring more intentionality and Oh, did you say what was different about the approach or what's changed?
Speaker 1 (19:54):
Yeah, just kind of how it was different than what you tried before and how it helped, if at all, with your symptoms.
Speaker 2 (20:04):
Yeah. Yeah. Okay. So I would say that perhaps it was kind of maybe an extension of the work I had been doing before that I felt like your approach made sense to me and was in alignment with things that I wanted to work on, things that I thought made sense or maybe recommendations that I'm like, oh yeah, I have been trying to do those things, but with varying degrees of success. And so I was looking for something that would have, I guess higher intensity maybe. So meeting more frequently and then the education piece, more of the information that would be structured. So I could maybe digest that more easily where it's easy to go down internet rabbit holes, and that can also be fun in its own, but having some better precision, clarity, a little bit of a roadmap, that's all very appealing.
Speaker 1 (21:15):
Yeah, there's so much information and at the same time, not enough in a lot of ways, but then it is figuring out what to do with that information and figuring out how does this information apply to me and then how do I make this information actionable? So we do have a system and a strategy and protocols for combining these things and guiding you through a honed process so you don't have to make all the decisions and you don't have to figure all of that out on your own. And it's very structured is the word that you used, and I think that's a great way to describe it. And then we did some lab testing as well, and so that provides us with more insight. And then we're tracking metrics as we go with your symptom mapper. So is sometimes I'm like, is this too much structure? But somehow within the structure there can be freedom, especially for those of us who are struggling with a adhd. We have a lot of demand avoidance to routines and structures, but then if we can get some of that in place for us in a way that serves us, it actually can be very liberating in ways that are so mind bending because it seems opposite of what we want.
(22:23):
So yes, I'm glad to hear for you, the structure was a draw as well and made an impact. What did you notice? So we talked about symptoms, the motivation, the brain fog, the fatigue, the anxiety, those ramping up, creeping into some depressive low mood symptoms. How did those change as we moved through our four month process?
Speaker 2 (22:47):
Yeah, I feel like there were a lot of shifts. I overall feeling just kind of less anxiety and seeing shifts in the mood where some of that too where I was like, oh, okay, now it seems like this mood thing is happening pre ovulatory rather than luteal. Interesting. So kind of paying attention to that and noticing these shifts. Okay. And seeing my fatigue improve a lot where I was able to get my sleep routine a little bit more better, always something that I can have difficulties with getting myself to bed on time. But yeah, I would be waking up a lot at 2, 3, 4 in the morning. And so seeing that get a lot better overall, feeling less stressed, sleeping a little better, working on eating something, more protein focused first thing, coming up with some different options. So it's like, okay, I at least have this really quick so that I'm not paralyzed by like, oh, well, what should I eat? I don't know. So doing some of that planning work around food or when I'm going to do certain things is helpful too.
Speaker 1 (24:40):
Yeah, sorting out all the details, it's like, okay, we can have a goal. I want to reduce and manage my symptoms. Amazing, great goal. How do we get there? What is the A to B2C step to get us there, and how are we gauging our progress and seeing what's working and what's not working so we can tweak it as we go. All of this needs strategy, all of this needs tracking, and it's so hard to do that by yourself. It's just like, where do I even start? Especially when you're overwhelmed, especially when you're starting from a depleted, fatigued place. As these symptoms started to alleviate. So we started out with two weeks of moderate to severe symptoms. As you started to reduce these and manage them differently, what have you noticed as far as the quality of your life? Have you seen any changes there in your relationships or your relationship with yourself or any shifts for you and your quality of life?
Speaker 2 (25:37):
Yeah, yeah, definitely noticed myself feel like I have been able to sit with some of the more challenging feelings, but then be able to recruit some of the skills and the tools that I have so that I'm feeling like I'm able to take action more readily, be able to try to shift out of some of those ineffective patterns when they crop up of like, oh, I'm feeling anxious, or I'm feeling overwhelmed. And so rather than turning to one of those go-to things where I could just be checking out and avoiding thinking about, alright, well what's the most important thing that I need to do? Or what maybe eating would help or have I not had water in a while? So just kind of doing more of those check-ins to help me feel like I'm staying on track or keeping up that momentum. Yeah, there's a lot of things that I do have available to me in terms of tools and feeling. So burnout shut down, depleted that it's hard to remember those things. It's hard to have the energy to access those things. So working on that foundation now, it's opening up a lot more opportunity to build from that. Keep going.
Speaker 1 (27:14):
I love that. It's like the downward spiral can happen so quickly. We always talk about this and so can the upward spiral. And it's hard to describe what we do here, right? It's like we talk about it all the time, women come on and share their stories. But then sometimes people are like, well, what exactly are you up to? And it's like, okay, well, we do have a process. We have honed it over years, but it looks a little bit different for each person. Each person's symptoms are different, their symptom pattern is different, their goals are different, their life is different. So many factors in their lives are different. And so we're always working on different things, different core areas. Nutrition is always a factor regardless of what core area we choose to work in. Because I'm a nutritional therapist and you can't get away from me on the nutrition bit, so reveal my bias there.
(28:00):
But that making things actionable, especially for those of us who are A DHD, we need so much help with that of like, okay, maybe I have the tools, but when do I use them? How do I use them? Which ones work best for me? Which ones do I use in which moments? So that really, implementation is so powerful when you do have constant support over four months to reach out and say, I'm stuck here, or what are some other options? Or how do I move through this? There's a lot of mindset work. There's so much to this. It's hard to really wrap it up with a bow and just be like, this is exactly how it's going to be. It plays out differently for everyone, but it's so great to see you feeling more empowered to have these symptoms reduced, to have more capacity and energy to work on the things that you want to in your life and have the relationships and travel you love traveling more time to do that in a way that's fulfilling rather than triggering or depleting. It's so exciting to see that in a four month period you can really turn things around for yourself and have a different story to tell. I have a couple of quotes of exciting quotes that I could read to remind you of some of that if you're up for it.
Speaker 2 (29:23):
Yeah, sounds good.
Speaker 1 (29:24):
Okay. So one of the quotes I have from one of our sessions, you said, I haven't had any totally sad days.
Speaker 2 (29:33):
Yeah. I think in that time period from when I had booked that we were going to start working together to us actually meeting together, I was starting to have more sadness or depression, just feeling down days where I was really tearful or I was just kind of feeling on the verge of tears and I didn't want to do anything and just sad to be able to say, oh, I haven't had any totally sad days. That's good. Because before it's like, oh, if I felt sad, it's like, okay, that comes, it goes. It's a feeling. But I wasn't as used to having days like that where it was just all day, but not necessarily tied to something situational. So that was important to see that shift.
Speaker 1 (30:26):
Well, and as that builds, like you were saying, there was a building for you, as that builds and you have more of those, you start to get this fear and this kind tension building up of like, oh, is it going to come again? When is it going to come? Well, I don't know what to expect. It can be traumatizing to have a lot of totally sad days over and over. So it's great that we were able to shift that quickly and you didn't have to go through the trauma of just what is happening to me with the severe depression. Something else you said, which we love, was I'm thinking more clearly.
Speaker 2 (30:59):
Yeah, yeah. I'm still going to be distractible and have troubles with my working memory because that is some of the A DHD stuff that's just going to be things I manage. But I was having a phone call with my mom, I think last week or something, and I think it was like lu phase and it was something we're going through. There's a lot of steps and it's kind of complicated. Oh, kind of boring. I need to fill out some paperwork. And I was starting to feel overwhelmed. But to be able to just notice that and be like, oh, I'm feeling like this is more than I can hold onto in my mind. Can we review that? Can I write it down? So being able to catch in the moment more when I'm struggling and then ask for what I need instead of the shame spiral of like, oh, I can never, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. And then just being whatever, and shut down. Oh, okay, what can I actually do about this?
Speaker 1 (31:56):
This is the best. And again, this is harder to measure. We can't quantify, per se, this metric, but that is life-changing because you're saying that could have gone so many other ways. It could have created a conflict between you and your mother. It could have led to days, weeks of spiraling. What's wrong with me? I'm not good enough. It can lead to self-harming that comes from those thoughts. It's, it's a sticky mess to get into that. And the fact that, and it's not in the moment. You're like, now I'm going to pause and I'm going to check in with myself and I'm going to handle this situation differently. That's not how it happens. It just happened and the situation went differently because you managed it differently. And that's such a big part of what we learn on in training with you is, yes, we want to reduce the symptoms, that's why you're here.
(32:51):
Obviously, let's do that. But we also want to help you learn how to manage the symptoms differently because how you manage the symptoms can make or break. Do you have a job? Are you in a relationship? Are you in jail? Lots of things that are not great. So the fact that that representation came out for you, and we've talked about this numerous times of it happening where it just is happening naturally, that shows how much progress you've made. Because again, it's not like you woke up in the morning and were like, I'm going to handle situations differently. Now you're tested and then you do it and then you recognize, whoa, I just did that and we celebrate it. So amazing. And that awareness piece allows you to do some of that. I get so hyped up
Speaker 2 (33:40):
About your wins. I
Speaker 1 (33:41):
Can't help it. I'm sorry.
Speaker 2 (33:43):
No, it's good. It's awesome. Yeah, because also I had my best friend was helping me clean out and organize my bathroom. And when one is not doing the best and also consistent A DHD struggle, it's like it was a mess. It was disorganized, but it wasn't the worst it's ever been. So that's still good. But also, I am kind of recovering from having shopping or boarding, not letting things go. So it's really hard for me going through my stuff like, oh, this brings up a lot of anxiety and stress, and so she'll help me go through things and it's good.
(34:33):
So yeah, we were reviewing all the progress and showing my husband, look at how great the bathroom is. Isn't it nice? And then look, because we reorganized this now, this bathroom, and now this closet and now this closet. And so it kind of had all these chain effects, which I think maybe that can also be kind of a great metaphor that there have been a lot of those kinds of things as we've done our work together. Is that like, oh, okay, well, as I've been able to do this, the thinking more clearly, a lot of other things, the Victoria Cyral, it just kind of sets off and builds. And so at the end of the day, and I was like, and this is especially impressive because guess who's in luteal phase? And I was like, remember we were having a cleaning rampage day and I was just feeling so anxious and overstimulated, and I was just taking breaks on the couch, on the verge of tears. And they're both like, oh yeah, I remember that time. So it's like, okay, yeah, you were visibly anxious, visibly struggling with what was going on too overstimulated. But I have really kind loving, supportive people in my life, so it really is really great. But that was fun too, to share the wind with them of like, oh yeah, look at how this cleaning game compared to that one.
Speaker 1 (35:55):
It's so great to have, have your progress reflected by others and to have some of those touch points of like, yeah, where have we come? And it's great to see too, that upward spiral, it's like as you have more clarity, as you have more energy, as you have more capacity to manage your symptoms and reduce them, right? You did the reducing and the managing. I didn't do that, right? I was there to support you every step of the way, provide resources, all of that, but you were the one that was changing your story and changing your symptoms and managing them differently, and that builds so much confidence over time to where your whole life changes. Well, one, because you're not entertaining as much of those negative thoughts, you're asking questions instead, that's a practice we hone through the process, which frees you from your automatic negative thoughts and that inner critic, which is so gripping and pervasive during luteal.
(36:51):
So we have strategies, and this is an example of how that strategy has played out of I am able to build more confidence. I'm able to not overthink my decisions of what I'm doing with these bathrooms and these things that I'm moving around and what I'm keeping and what I'm not. And that just continues to build. And we need that in the PMDD community. We need more self-confidence. We need more clarity on our concept of ourself because it's challenged when we feel like one person two weeks of the month and another person the other two weeks of the month, and that other person, the other two weeks of the month is cutting us down and making us behave in ways that aren't aligned with our core values, which drives shame and guilt. It's just so hard to crawl out of that hole. But you did that and it's continuing to unfold. The last quote I have for you, which plays into this is my baseline anxiety is definitely improved.
Speaker 2 (37:47):
That when everything feels overwhelming, when you're tired, when you have brain fog, it's like, oh, what am I forgetting? Or what's on my to-do list? And what am I not going to be able to keep up with? What new things are going to be coming at me? And just all that overwhelmed. But there was a lot of anxiety with that and being able to see all these changes, being able to take care of my health myself, better that, yeah, I'm still a person who gets anxiety, but it's back to feeling more like it's manageable and not like, oh, this tension on a daily basis
Speaker 1 (38:48):
Such a relief. We love any breathers from the anxiety that we can get, so it's great just you feeling more in the driver's seat of that, knowing how to use your tools, when to use them, why to use them. So we've covered so much ground. We've covered how BMDD was affecting you, what your symptoms were, what you tried, why you came to work with us, how that process was for you. I would love now to just wrap up by sharing any message of hope that you have for others, things that you've learned through this process of learning to reduce and manage your symptoms. And if you could look back and have a conversation with yourself in 24, well before we started, when you came in feeling hopeless, feeling totally overwhelmed, not sure if what we had to offer you is going to be supportive, what would you say to that version of yourself? Or what would you say to someone in a similar position who's just feeling really sad and scared and hopeless for their future?
Speaker 2 (39:53):
That I think definitely encouragement of if you're thinking about reaching out for support, as long as that is accessible to you, do it. I don't think I've ever regretted getting help. So I think that's really important and that even when things are feeling out of control, there are many things in life that are out of control, but that when we start small, when we focus on the basics, there's always something that we can do to help ourselves and ways to regain our sense of agency and control over ourselves or our life. And yeah, I also always think of, I first heard this in a yoga teacher training when you read the Bava Gita, and there's a quote that says, no effort on the path is wasted. And that especially PMDD hormonal issues where it's cyclical or might feel like, okay, it is getting better and then be like, oh, nevermind is worse. And just, yeah, that cyclical nature, it can feel so defeating. But to kind of hold onto that remembrance that things are always changing, even in ways we might not be able to detect yet, but that each time we show up for ourself, each time we have a little win, each time we make some progress, even if we feel like we've lost or we backslide or whatever, it still counts and it's still advancing us forward towards feeling differently or feeling better. So
Speaker 1 (41:51):
I love that message, Alina. It's so wise and so inspiring and so true, all of it, and so relatable because yeah, that cyclical nature, it can feel like, oh, I'm just starting over. But you've learned through this process and you've proven to everyone today through your story that isn't true. It's always a learning moment. We're finding our way. Even if it feels like it's two steps forward, one step back, we're still going in the direction and it can get better. So thank you so much for sharing your story. Thank you for being here. It's been such a joy and honor and pleasure to work with you and to see you reclaim days and weeks of your life from these symptoms. And I mean, you are totally special and so am I, and so are all of my other clients, but there's nothing inherently uniquely special about us that only we can experience this type of relief. It is available for everyone out there. We have to hold onto the hope for that. And so if you're looking for support, don't hesitate to find some and reach out. Any final words before we wrap up? And I have my fidget this whole time, by the way.
Speaker 2 (42:59):
Oh, yes. Yes. I have my dog, which I use for cute. Yes. Well, yeah, just thank you so much for all your help and that, yeah, for anyone who's thinking about should I do it, I would encourage them to get whatever kind of support they feel like they might need and that, yeah, our work together was so impactful and I'm looking forward to continuing working with you because it feels like, okay, I've been able to get back to some previous level regaining certain skills that I had, and I'm really excited to go deeper and still be learning more and adding more knowledge and tools.
Speaker 1 (43:46):
Yes. Well, I'm so excited. Yes, we are. For those listening, we are continuing to work together. And this happens with many clients where they see the success. They're not ready to walk away yet. We continue through the process and with the progress. So I will be seeing you soon, and I'm so excited to see what else we're able to achieve together.
Speaker 2 (44:07):
Yeah, there's lots of different ways to work on these things or continue to work, but yeah, it's not like, oh, it's all done, but okay, I'm moving into a new phase of learning to care for myself. Yeah. Yay,
Speaker 1 (44:25):
Jess. Well, thank you Elena. I hope you have a good evening with the pups and get some, I'm going to go do the same with my own, and I will be seeing you soon.
Speaker 2 (44:37):
Alright, I'll see you soon. Thanks.
Speaker 1 (44:38):
Bye.
