How to Treat PMDD Naturally Without Birth Control (From Someone Who’s Been There)

If you’d met me just a few years ago, you’d have seen someone who was (kinda) functioning on the outside, but barely hanging on inside.

Every month, like clockwork, I’d be hit by this tidal wave—anger, anxiety, despair, overwhelm so dense I couldn’t think straight, and a kind of hopelessness that didn’t feel like me. Then my period would arrive, and like magic, I’d be “fine” again. Except I wasn’t. Because deep down, I was terrified of the next crash.

As a naturopath, I knew the theory. I knew how to support hormones, balance nutrients, reduce stress. And yet, nothing seemed to touch this thing. What was happening to me didn’t fit neatly into a diagnostic box. And when I finally reached out for medical help? The only options handed to me were birth control, antidepressants or even a dose of shame.

Now, let me be clear: I’m not anti-medication. But when those are the only tools being offered for something as complex and deeply felt as PMDD, it can leave you feeling misunderstood—and completely out of options.

That’s why I’m writing this. Because I was that woman looking for something—anything—that felt aligned with my values and actually worked. And I’m here to tell you: treating PMDD without birth control is absolutely possible. I’ve done it, and I now support other women to do the same every day.

This guide shares everything I’ve learned through my own recovery—using a trauma-informed, root-cause approach that blends herbal medicine, nutritional therapy, nervous system regulation, and deep emotional healing. Not a quick fix. Not a magic pill. But something real, sustainable, and kind.

If you’ve ever felt like PMDD has hijacked your life and the only way forward is to suppress it—please read on. You are not broken. You are not alone. And there is another way.

Why So Many Women Are Looking to Treat PMDD Without Birth Control

If you've ever sat in a doctor’s office and felt like your entire experience was reduced to “just take the pill,” you're not alone. I’ve heard this story from countless women—and I lived it myself.

The reality is, many of us are offered hormonal contraceptives or antidepressants as a first—and sometimes only—line of treatment for PMDD. For some, these options bring short-term relief. But for others, they come with a long list of side effects: weight gain, low libido, mood changes, numbness, or even feeling like a stranger in your own skin. It’s a strange kind of irony when the thing you’re prescribed to help your mood ends up flattening it.  I’d done them both before, and I didn’t want to go there again.

It’s not that birth control is inherently bad—it just wasn’t designed to treat the root causes of PMDD. It works by overriding your natural cycle. But PMDD isn’t caused by having a cycle; it’s about how your system responds to that cycle. And if we’re only suppressing the symptoms without understanding the cause, we’re not really healing—we’re just managing.

That “one-size-fits-all” approach might be fine for a headache, but PMDD is not a headache. It’s a deeply complex, cyclical pattern involving hormones, neurotransmitters, inflammation, stress response, trauma, and more. And for those of us who are sensitive to hormonal shifts, adding synthetic hormones to the mix can sometimes make things worse.

If you’ve found yourself Googling things like “treating PMDD without birth control” at 2 a.m. because the rage or sadness or panic feels unbearable—please know this: you are not fussy, fragile, or overreacting. Wanting to heal naturally doesn’t mean you’re naive. It means you’re listening to your body. It means you want to get to the root of what’s really going on, not just silence the symptoms.

That instinct is worth trusting.

Understanding the Root Causes of PMDD

One of the biggest misconceptions about PMDD is that it’s simply a “hormone problem.” But if that were true, we’d all respond the same way to our monthly cycle—and we don’t.

PMDD isn’t caused by hormones being too high or too low. It’s caused by how your brain and body respond to the natural rise and fall of estrogen and progesterone. In other words, the hormone levels might be “normal” on paper, but your sensitivity to those fluctuations is where the trouble begins.

But it doesn’t stop there.

What I’ve seen in clinic—and lived through myself—is that PMDD symptoms are rarely, if ever, just hormonal. They’re often magnified by a nervous system that’s already dysregulated, an inflamed gut, unresolved emotional wounds, and a body stuck in survival mode.

Think of it like this: if your stress response is already on edge, if your body is inflamed, if your past trauma is bubbling just under the surface—then a normal hormonal shift can feel like a bomb going off. It’s not that your body is broken. It’s that it’s overwhelmed.

Bessel van der Kolk said, “The body keeps the score,” and he was right. Many of us with PMDD are carrying layers of unprocessed stress, early (and usually later) life trauma, or ancestral burdens that affect how our brain interprets hormonal changes. We can’t heal if we don’t look at that.

This is why I believe so many PMDD protocols fall short. They might include supplements or cycle tracking—which are helpful—but they stop at the physical level. What’s often missing is support for the whole system:

• calming the inflammation,

• rewiring the stress response, and

• gently processing the emotional residue stored in the body.

Once I addressed these deeper layers, things finally started to shift. Not overnight—but in a real, lasting way.

What Actually Worked for Me

My Five Pillars for Treating PMDD Without Birth Control

When I finally started feeling like myself again, it wasn’t because I found a magic supplement or the perfect hormone blend. It was because I stopped trying to “fix” one piece of the puzzle and started supporting the whole system—my body, my mind, my emotions, and my past.

This is the framework I now use with clients in my clinic. It’s not about perfection—it’s about consistency, curiosity, and compassion. Healing PMDD without birth control is completely possible. But it works best when you approach it from multiple angles.

Here’s what finally helped me—and now helps the women I work with every day:

1. Herbal Medicine for PMDD Relief

Some of the gentlest remedies can also be the most powerful—when used with the right intention and guidance. Three herbs made a noticeable difference in my own recovery:

• Vitex (Chaste Tree): Supports healthy hormone signalling and can help rebalance the luteal phase.

• Saffron: Known for its mood-lifting properties and helpful in calming anxiety and irritability.

• Kava: A natural relaxant that can ease premenstrual anxiety and tension without the fogginess of medication (if the right dose is used).

But herbs aren’t a magic fix on their own. They work best when they’re part of a whole-body strategy—tailored to your unique system. Otherwise, you’re just playing supplement roulette.

2. Targeted Nutrient Supplementation for PMDD Symptoms

I discovered that many of the nutrients crucial for brain and hormone function were running low—especially as a plant-based woman. Once I started testing (instead of guessing), everything started to make more sense.

Some of the key nutrients I’ve seen make a big difference include:

• Magnesium: calms the nervous system and helps regulate estrogen

• Vitamin B6 and zinc: support neurotransmitter production and mood balance

• Calcium: can reduce irritability and physical PMS symptoms

• Omega-3s and GLA: support anti-inflammatory pathways and emotional resilience

And yes, I use and recommend Ahiflower oil instead of fish oil—it’s a sustainable plant-based source of both omega-3 and omega-6 GLA, which is very rare and incredibly helpful for mood and inflammation.

3. A Truly Anti-Inflammatory PMDD Diet

Once I began viewing food as information—something that speaks to my hormones, brain, and immune system—everything shifted. I followed a whole-food plant-based diet: high in colour, fibre, raw foods, and anti-inflammatory nutrients. I also said goodbye to:

• Refined sugar

• Coffee (yes, it was hard)

• Gluten and other personal triggers

This isn’t about being perfect or “clean.” It’s about learning what your body thrives on. For me, that meant deeply nourishing foods that don’t send my blood sugar or cortisol on a rollercoaster.

“This isn’t about being perfect. It’s about giving your body the conditions it needs to feel safe, nourished, and steady.”

4. Nervous System Regulation for PMDD

One of the biggest revelations was realising that my symptoms weren’t just about hormones—they were also about stress. And not the “busy day” kind of stress, but the deeper, stuck-on-fight-or-flight kind.

When cortisol is chronically elevated—or swings wildly—it amplifies everything: mood swings, anxiety, inflammation, cravings, insomnia.

So I started working with simple, consistent tools to support my vagus nerve and parasympathetic state:

• Breathwork (especially long exhales)

• Yoga nidra for deep rest

• Subliminal healing tracks during sleep to calm subconscious fear loops

You don’t need a complicated routine—just a few things that gently remind your body that it’s safe.

5. Trauma-Processing as the Missing Link for PMDD

This was the part I resisted the most—and the part that changed everything.

Through my own healing, I came to understand that PMDD doesn’t exist in a vacuum. For many of us, it’s the body’s way of expressing unresolved trauma—whether that’s from childhood, relational patterns, or intergenerational wounds.

When I began working with tools like Family Constellations, Rapid Core Healing, and Emotional Mind Integration, I started to process what I didn’t even know I was carrying. And once that happened, the emotional intensity around my cycle softened. My body stopped reacting as if it were constantly under threat.

“When I addressed the trauma piece, everything else started to stick.”

This five-pillar approach isn’t a quick fix. But it’s real. And it’s deeply healing—because it honours your whole self.

How I Support Women With PMDD Now

Today, I support women all over the world who are walking the same path I once did—overwhelmed by PMDD, unsure who to trust, and desperate for a solution that doesn’t involve shutting down their hormones.

I offer 1:1 strategy sessions for women who are ready to take a more natural, root-cause approach to their healing.  We’ll work out exactly what a recovery plan for you might look like.

For those who are ready to go deeper, I guide women through my PMDD Recovery Journey—a structured, 12-week process that gently walks you through each pillar of healing with education, support, and space to integrate at your own pace.   These 1:1 sessions are personalised and grounded in everything that helped me recover—nutritional support, nervous system regulation, herbal medicine, and trauma-informed emotional work.

And for those craving immersive support in a truly nourishing environment, there’s my upcoming PMDD Retreats in Bali—a sacred space for deep rest, somatic release, and reconnection to self.

My approach is gentle, but it’s thorough. I don’t believe in quick fixes or band-aid protocols. I believe in listening to the body, building safety, and guiding women back to their own inner intelligence. Healing PMDD is possible. It takes courage—but you don’t have to do it alone.

You’re Not Broken—Your Body Is Asking to Be Understood

If you’re in the thick of it—feeling like you lose yourself every month, trying to stay afloat while everyone tells you to “just go on the pill”—I want you to know this:

You’re not broken. Your body isn’t working against you—it’s asking you to listen.

When I was in survival mode, I thought I’d have to live like that forever. But healing is possible, even when it feels far away. And it doesn’t have to come at the cost of your values, your fertility, or your sense of self.

You deserve support that sees the whole of you—not just your hormones, but your history, your sensitivity, your strength.

There is another way.
And it works.

✨ Free Resource
If PMDD feels like it’s running your life, download my free guide: "The Natural PMDD Protocol That Helped Me Feel Like Myself Again." It’s a compassionate, practical roadmap that can help you understand your body in a whole new way.

📅 Work With Me
If you’re ready to start treating PMDD without birth control and want a step-by-step, trauma-informed plan designed just for you, book a strategy session and let’s explore what’s possible—together.

With love,

Camilla x

About Camilla Brinkworth
Camilla is a naturopath, nutritionist, and trauma-informed PMDD specialist. After healing her own cycle through an integrative natural and holistic approach, she now helps women worldwide stabilise their moods, restore emotional balance, and feel safe in their bodies again—naturally. Explore support options →