PMDD and Neurodivergent Women: The Hormonal Shift No One Warned You About

PMDD is one of the most misunderstood hormonal conditions out there - and for many neurodivergent women, it’s missed entirely.

Too often, women are dismissed as “moody,” “too emotional,” or “overreacting.” Others are misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder or borderline personality disorder long before anyone considers their menstrual cycle.

What actually matters (and what so often gets overlooked) is the pattern: symptoms that become overwhelmingly intense in the week before your period, then ease once menstruation begins. That’s the hallmark of PMDD.

Why Neurodivergent Women Feel It More Intensely

If you’re autistic, ADHD, AuDHD, dyslexic, or otherwise neurodivergent, the hormonal shifts of PMDD can hit with brutal force.

And it’s not in your head! Hormonal fluctuations can amplify sensory sensitivities, emotional regulation challenges, and executive dysfunction. A week that already requires careful pacing,

Some of my clients describe that premenstrual week as feeling like they’ve become a different person entirely - overwhelmed, exhausted, anxious, irritable, quick to tears, or completely unable to cope the way they usually do.

This isn’t “just PMS.” And it certainly isn’t a personality flaw. For neurodivergent women, the combination of PMDD and their underlying neurology creates a perfect storm.

You’re Not ‘Too Sensitive.’ You’re Not Imagining It.

If the days before your period feel like your world unravels - if your sensory threshold drops, decision-making becomes impossible, or every small task feels like climbing a mountain - you’re not broken, dramatic, or weak.

But you could have PMDD.

Understanding the overlap between neurodivergence and hormonal conditions is an area that many traditional therapy and counselling approaches miss. But it’s crucial. Your brain, your hormones, your sensory load - they all interact. They all matter.

Support Exists - And You Deserve It

I’ve worked with neurodivergent women across Australia - ADHD, autism, dyslexia, AuDHD - who are trying to navigate both their neurodivergent traits and the emotional intensity of PMDD.

You deserve a psychologist who sees the entire picture. Someone who understands executive dysfunction, rejection sensitivity, anxiety, burnout, masking, emotional regulation, and how hormones can turn all of those up to full volume.

If this feels familiar, there is a way forward. I offer neurodivergent-affirming therapy through online psychology sessions and telehealth therapy across Australia, including Melbourne, Victoria, and Mordialloc. Together, we explore your symptoms, make sense of your cycle, and develop strategies that genuinely support your neurodivergent brain.

You’re not alone in this. Relief is possible - and support is available.

If you’d like help understanding whether PMDD could be part of your story, you can fill in the application form to work with me.