December 02, 2024

Helps for Loved Ones of Women with PMDD - Part 2

16 minutes

Let's pick up where we left off.

This episode focuses on helping your loved one with PMDD through verbal acknowledgements, actions, speaking about good things, and spending time together.

Take Aways
-Verbal acknowledgements can help.
-Say, "It's not your fault."
-Say, "I love you as you are."
-Say, "I'm sorry you have to deal with this."
-Reassure her, "You don't have to do that. I will help you with that tomorrow."
-Hug her.
-Remember that her mind is experiencing an avalanche of negative thinking so countering some of that with good, truthful statements can help. Her mind won't generate those on its own when her PMDD symptoms are active.
-Limit arbitrary questions like, "What would you like to do?" "Should I choose the red or the blue one?"
-Limit decision making during this time. She cannot access clarity on most things right now.
-Give yourself credit for trying to help.
-Give yourself grace when your help backfires.
-Give yourself grace when you do not seem to help things go well.
-You are not responsible for her feelings or her emotional well being. But she might not know this.
-You can influence her emotional well being.
-Try to keep things light.
-Take care of yourself.
-Focusing on factual or concrete things like budgeting, together goals you have that are measurable can be fine. Test the waters and if it goes okay, she probably appreciates the diversion from her thinking.