Mindfulness for PMDD with Diane

In this episode, I share the symptoms that had me wondering if I had entered perimenopause and what is has been like navigating a tangled mess of PMDD, Autism, Autistic Burnout and Perimenopause.

I also review the book Autistic Menopause: A Guide to the Menopausal Transition for Autistic People and Those Supporting Them by Dr. Rachel Moseley and Professor Julie Gamble-Turner, sharing my reactions and top takeaways.

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

 Have you ever noticed that when you're having a really tough day it can often feel harder to do the very things that you know will help you to feel a bit better?

Mindfulness can be especially hard to practice on our hard days, even though stress management skills can be helpful for those of us with PMDD or Autism (or other chronic illness or neurodivergence, for that matter).

In this episode, I discuss how to meet yourself where you are--and honor your capacity--by folding a bit of mindfulness into some of the things you might already be doing on a regular day. I also share a mindfulness exercise that makes use of something you might already be doing on a challenging day, which is reaching for a cup of your favorite, warm, cozy drink.

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

Learn how the Belle app is so much more than a symptom tracker and how it can help you to not only get some relief from PMDD in the short term, but also build resistance over time.

Victoria Schoeffel is the CEO and Co-founder at Belle Health. Victoria was inspired to " change the status quo in female health" after identifying a gap in support for premenstrual dysphoric disorder. While she was at the University of Cambridge, Victoria and her co-founder and Belle Health CTO, Rafael Schaider, combined her personal experience living with PMDD, and her degrees in psychology and medicine, with Rafael's engineering background to help people living with PMDD get tailored, evidence-based and proven guidance to help manage the luteal phase. In this conversation, Victoria shares her own personal experiences with PMDD and how she came across a study of internet based cognitive behavioral therapy that became the starting point, or the inspiration, for the Belle Health app. 

I have tried the app for myself and there's so much good stuff in there. I love the SOS feature that helps you quickly find the right tool by selecting the symptom that's bothering you in the moment. There's also a self-paced course that goes deeper into these strategies and exercises. You can generate a symptom report to take to your doctor if you're trying to get a diagnosis. And Belle Health is now coming out with a Belle Smart Ring, which is going to use your physiological data to give you better and more specific recommendations tailored to your individual needs, and I'm really excited for that to come out.

So please enjoy my chat with Victoria Schoeffel.

#PMDD #stress #PMS #ADHD #autism #mindfulness

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

What if I told you that you don't need to meditate or do a mindfulness exercise to practice mindfulness?


What if I also told you that it is an act of mindfulness to:

• kindly acknowledge how much things suck right now
• recognize your needs
• and choose to move forward by giving yourself what you need right now

That's what I talk about in this episode. 

I also share how I haven't been practicing mindfulness the same way I'm used to, since struggling through autistic burnout (which also gets much worse, for me, in the luteal phase).

Oh...and I also guide you through a meditation for PMDD anxiety at the end.

In case you do feel up for a guided meditation. 

xo
Diane

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

Do you feel like you spend so much time managing your PMDD that you are losing touch with: 

• the things that are important to you?
• the things that bring you joy?
• the people you love to be around?

This absolutely happened to me. And it makes sense!


It makes sense that when when PMDD is taking over our lives, we want to do everything we can to feel better and get back to living.


And yet, that very process of finding ourselves living in survival mode, or diving into healing, can push us away from the things that make life feel fulfilling.


This meditation is inspired by an ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy/Training) exercise, sometimes called 'The Magic Wand' or 'A Miracle Has Happened', etc.


It helps us to get back in touch with our values, by guiding us through:


(1) Imagining the life we'd create for ourselves if we had no worries or burdens. 

(2) Encouraging us to consider how we can bring a bit of that into our current day-to-day lives.

#PMDD
#PMS
#chronicillness
#Autism
#Neurodivergent

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

In this episode, Shamash Alidina and I discuss: 

• How living with PMDD, or other chronic illness, can lead us to pause our life while we try to heal 
• And how this can lead to losing touch with ourselves and the things that bring value, meaning and purpose to our lives

Shamash and I talk about how making room for our challenges, and turning back to the things that are meaningful for us, can help us to live a richer, more purposeful life, even with PMDD.


I share how fighting less, and opening up more, actually led me to find some relief from PMDD symptoms.

Shamash is best known as the internationally bestselling author of 10 books including Mindfulness For Dummies and The Mindful Way through Stress. He also co-founded the world's first Museum of Happiness in London, and often collaborates with UK Charity, Action for Happiness.

Shamash pioneered online Mindfulness Teacher Training, launching his program Teach Mindfulness Online, and has been training practitioners in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy–or Training–also called ACT.


Mentioned in this episode:

• The Little Book of ACT: A Simple and Fun Guide to Living a Meaningful Life Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy by Shamash Alidina
• Empower Yourself: Acceptance and Commitment Therapy Colouring Book by Shamash Alidina

Learn more about Shamash and his programs here

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

Last month, I shared that I recently learned I'm Autistic. This month I'm talking about the autistic burnout I've been in since the summer. Specifically:

• What triggered autistic burnout
• The first signs I was in burnout
• How I realized I was in autistic burnout and had it confirmed
• How autistic burnout came on just before my autism assessment
• The symptoms of autistic burnout I'm experiencing
• What I'm doing to help myself through burnout
• How my burnout, autism, and PMDD affect each other

For now, I plan to continue to post one interview and one solo episode each month.

Talk to you soon!

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

Cheryl Crow, OTR/L, is an occupational therapist who lives with Rheumatoid arthritis and runs a support group for others living with chronic illness. She also practices and applies Acceptance and Commitment Therapy into her own life and in her work.

In our chat, Cheryl shares about:

• Her diagnosis story and experience with medical gaslighting
• How she came to run a support group for people with rheumatoid arthritis and chronic illness
• The mental health journey of living–and thriving–with chronic illness even when you are still in discomfort after trying all the things in your toolbox
• And how acceptance is different from resignation

Cheryl Crow is a fierce advocate for meeting the full picture of patients’ needs beyond joint pain. After living with rheumatoid arthritis for over a decade and becoming an occupational therapist, Cheryl founded Arthritis Life with the mission of educating, empowering and supporting people with arthritis.

Cheryl is known for her entertaining yet educational videos featuring arthritis life hacks, product demonstrations, and insights into the psychosocial aspects of life with invisible chronic illness. She created and hosts the Arthritis Life Podcast and runs the online self-management course and support group Rheum to THRIVE, where she helps people adjust to their conditions and live full and meaningful lives.

Contact Cheryl:

• Arthritis Life website (program & podcast info here)
• Instagram @arthritis_life_cheryl 

Also mentioned in this episode:

• Autoimmune disease
• Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
• The Happiness Trap by Russ Harris
• Dr Steven C. Hayes
• Kristin Neff and self-compassion
• Dr John Gottman 

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

I recently had an Autism assessment and learned that I am in fact Autistic.

In this episode I discuss what led me to pursue an Autism assessment, how I've been feeling since having my Autism confirmed, and what this has to do with my PMDD and this podcast.

Mentioned in this episode:

Aspergirls by Rudy Simone

Unmasking Autism by Devon Price, PhD.

Dr. Stephen Shore

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane

Have you ever said or done something in luteal that left you cringing with guilt and shame?

Have you wondered whether you might have bipolar disorder or PMDD or both?

Want to know how to tweak your daily routines to help boost your mood?

This episode is for you! 

On it, I chat with Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT, a Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist, based out of California. Robyn specializes in Bipolar Disorder and OCD, and works with clients who have PMDD. She and I talk about:

• The differences between Bipolar Disorder and PMDD and how they are diagnosed.
• How you can learn from an episode or meltdown to balance your mood a bit better and perhaps prevent one in the future.
• How you can use symptom tracking to look out for the 'yellow flag'.
• The #1 daily habit you can start changing now to improve your mood.

About Robyn

Robyn Tamanaha is a Japanese American Licensed Marriage & Family Therapist in Orange County, CA. She provides video therapy to individuals that live in the state of California. She has been a therapist for over 10 years and has her own private practice where she specializes in helping people who are living with Bipolar Disorder and OCD.

Therapy website

Instagram


Referenced in this episode:

What is Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder? by Robyn Tamanaha, LMFT

IAPMD (International Association for Premenstrual Disorders)

Connect with me!

DM me on Instagram @mindfulnessforpmdd

FREE Meditations for PMDD for You from Me! (Insight Timer)

Thanks for listening! <3

If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe.

And if you know someone with PMDD, please share this podcast.

And remember ... Stop. Take a breath. And observe. 

xo
Diane