What Is Intergenerational Trauma and How Does It Affect PMDD?
The Inheritance We Don’t Talk About
When most people think of inheritance, they imagine money, property, or family heirlooms. But for many women living with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), the inheritance that feels heaviest isn’t material — it’s emotional.
This hidden legacy is known as intergenerational trauma. It’s the pain, fears, and survival patterns passed down from parents, grandparents, and even generations further back. For women with PMDD, these inherited imprints can intensify the emotional storm that arises before their period, leaving them feeling like they’re carrying not only their own suffering, but also the unhealed wounds of those who came before them.
What Is Intergenerational Trauma?
Intergenerational trauma is when unresolved trauma from one generation is carried forward to the next. It can show up as anxiety, depression, fear of abandonment, or even physical symptoms — often without any obvious cause in a person’s own life.
Science helps us understand how this happens. Through the field of epigenetics, we now know that trauma doesn’t just affect the person who experiences it. Stressful or traumatic events can leave chemical marks on DNA that alter how genes are expressed . These “epigenetic switches” can be passed down through multiple generations
So, if a grandmother experienced war, displacement, or loss, her children and grandchildren may carry heightened sensitivity in their nervous systems — even if they’ve never directly faced the same dangers.
How Trauma Gets Passed Down in Families
Trauma can also be inherited through the family environment. During the first seven years of life, children live mostly in slower brainwave states (delta and theta), which makes them incredibly receptive to their surroundings.
Children don’t just absorb words — they take in the emotions, fears, and survival strategies of their parents:
Growing up in a tense home might teach a child to silence their needs to keep the peace.
Seeing a parent struggle with money might create a deep fear of scarcity, even in adulthood .
Witnessing arguments or separations might instil a subconscious belief that relationships are unsafe.
For women with PMDD, these imprints can become amplified during the luteal phase. Hormonal fluctuations interact with the nervous system, activating old patterns that were laid down in childhood or inherited from earlier generations. The result can be intense emotional reactions that feel disproportionate to the present situation but are very real in the body.
How Intergenerational Trauma Intensifies PMDD
Many women with PMDD describe feeling like they live two different lives: one where they feel like themselves, and another where their premenstrual weeks bring overwhelming anxiety, rage, despair, or sensitivity.
When unresolved trauma lies beneath the surface, the hormonal changes of the menstrual cycle can act as a trigger — much like the cherry blossom scent in the famous animal study that caused trauma responses in future generations who had never experienced the original shock.
This means that the intense reactions in PMDD aren’t simply “hormonal mood swings.” They can also be subconscious survival responses passed down through the family line, now reawakened each cycle.
The Cost of Carrying What Isn’t Yours
Intergenerational trauma doesn’t just affect the mind — it can manifest in the body. Unprocessed emotions live in the nervous system and may express themselves through:
Chronic anxiety and hypervigilance.
Depression and emotional heaviness that feels inherited.
Digestive issues or inflammatory conditions that worsen before menstruation.
Fatigue or burnout from constantly being in survival mode.
For women with PMDD, this can deepen the monthly struggle. You may be reacting not just to the here and now, but also to unresolved pain from the past. It’s no wonder the symptoms can feel so overwhelming.
Healing Intergenerational Trauma and PMDD
The hopeful truth is this: trauma may be passed down, but it is not a life sentence. Just as trauma can imprint on the subconscious, it can also be released. Healing comes from addressing both the conscious mind — where we gain awareness and clarity — and the subconscious mind, where the patterns are actually stored.
This is at the heart of Camilla Clare Brinkworth’s work, combining Family Constellations and Rapid Core Healing.
Family Constellations
This systemic therapy reveals hidden family dynamics, unspoken losses, and unconscious loyalties that may be amplifying PMDD symptoms. Women often discover they are carrying the grief, fear, or anger of mothers, grandmothers, or ancestors. By bringing these hidden dynamics into awareness, Family Constellations allows for deep release and restores a sense of belonging and stability.
Rapid Core Healing (RCH)
RCH integrates hypnotherapy, NLP, Gestalt Therapy, cognitive behavioural approaches, and systemic constellation work . It goes directly to the subconscious to reprocess unresolved trauma and shift old patterns. For women with PMDD, this means they can gently release emotional imprints that fuel monthly crises, and rebuild healthier responses in their nervous system.
Together, these approaches offer a powerful, compassionate pathway — helping women move beyond survival mode and into lasting healing.
You Are Not Broken
If you’ve ever felt ashamed of the intensity of your PMDD symptoms, you are not alone. Many women carry not only their own struggles but also the silent burdens of those who came before them.
Intergenerational trauma teaches us that our suffering isn’t always “ours” — but we do have the power to heal it. With supportive approaches like Family Constellations and Rapid Core Healing, women can release inherited pain, rewire old subconscious patterns, and create a life of balance, resilience, and inner peace.
As an old teaching reminds us: we do not only heal for ourselves, but for the generations who came before us and those who will come after.
About Camilla Brinkworth
Camilla Brinkworth is a naturopath, clinical nutritionist, and trauma-informed practitioner specialising in plant-based health, gut restoration, and emotional well-being. With a focus on conditions like SIBO, IBS, and PMDD, Camilla helps clients uncover root causes and create practical, personalised strategies for lasting digestive and hormonal balance. She works globally online so that you can receive the support you need from the comfort of your own home.
Learn more about Camilla’s naturopathy consultations and gut health programmes at www.camillaclare.com.