Breaking the Silence: Why We Need to Talk About Periods, PMDD & Mental Health
Most people who follow me know that I live with PMDD – Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. And if you don’t, here’s the short version: it’s like living with a mind that turns against you every single month. Not in a “I’m a bit moody before my period” kind of way – I’m talking about overwhelming thoughts that make daily life feel impossible.
Learn more about PMDD here.
It took 14 years for me to get a diagnosis. Fourteen years of blaming myself, gaslighting myself, wondering why I couldn’t just cope like everyone else seemed to. That constant self-blame didn’t just add to my suffering – it stole the good days too.
Getting diagnosed changed things. Not overnight, but it gave me language, understanding, and something I hadn’t realised I was missing: validation. But it also opened my eyes to how little we talk about this stuff – periods, hormones, mental health. Still, in 2025, we’re whispering about things that affect half the population.
Here’s what I’ve come to understand:
👉 When something is taboo, we don’t talk about it.
👉 When we don’t talk about it, there’s no awareness.
👉 When there’s no awareness, we doubt and gaslight ourselves.
👉 That internal gaslighting chips away at our self-esteem.
👉 And with low self-esteem comes inaction – we don’t seek help, we don’t speak up, we just carry on surviving.
So how do we break this cycle?
Honestly, it can feel overwhelming. This is a big issue. Period shame and mental health stigma aren’t new. But I truly believe that change starts from the inside out and although we can’t control the whole system we can start with ourselves.
And for me – and for so many of the people who I work with – that starting point is self-compassion.
That means:
Advocating for ourselves even when our voice shakes.
Letting go of the shame we’ve carried for years.
Speaking up about the reality of living with conditions like PMDD.
Being kind to ourselves when we’re struggling – especially when that inner critic is screaming.
Self-compassion isn’t fluffy. It’s not a buzzword. It’s radical. It’s brave. And it’s essential.
It’s also the thread that connects so many of the people I work with. Whether they’re navigating PMDD - or as I call it, hormone havoc - or just feeling like they’ve lost themselves in the chaos of life – the root struggle is often the same: being too hard on themselves.
That’s how I found myself working in this space.
That’s why I speak up, even when it feels vulnerable.
That’s why self-compassion is the heart of everything I do.
Because once we start treating ourselves with more kindness, the rest starts to shift. We speak up more. We connect more. And slowly, the taboo loses its power.
That’s my why.
Extra Reading:
I’m Laura Teare-Jones - a hormone & mindset coach, business mentor and fierce women’s health advocate.
Find out how to work with me here.
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