Hi, I’m Dakota.
And if you had told me when I was 25 that someday I’d be here? Doing this? Buddy, I would have laughed your @$$ right outta here. I was a scientist, with a BA in Chemistry, and a stressful, fast-paced, everything-is-urgent type job in a real-life laboratory. I was excelling in my career, volunteering, doing high intensity interval training 6 days a week, and effortlessly balancing a vibrant social and dating life on top of it all.
On the outside, it looked like I had it all figured out. But my body was screaming for help. After transitioning off The Pill, my period was all over the place, and the only indication it was coming was the sudden onset of flulike symptoms every. single. month. “Cyclical depression” was creeping into my work life, hindering my productivity. “Anxiety” was suddenly my intermittent companion, paranoia and insecurity convincing me my partner and friends all secretly hated me.
But in 2019, with the help of the right therapist, we finally determined what that “cycle” was, and it wasn’t just depression. It was PMDD.
Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder. At the time, no one on my medical team knew much about it. It was billed to me as “PMS on steroids”. It finally helped me make sense of my symptoms, but even with a diagnosis, no one could tell me how to treat them.
“Eat more soy the week before your period.”
“Go back on birth control.”
“Give SSRIs a try.”
I tried all of these ill-advised methods of alleviating my symptoms. Naturally, none of them worked.
And then a few months later, when that birth control failed me, and I ended up pregnant with an IUD still intact, my entire life got flipped upside down.
I developed new symptoms, and saw an extreme exacerbation of the ones that were already ruling my life. My periods became even more unpredictable. I no longer had the energy or strength to open a window sash, let alone get back to HIIT workouts.
My most debilitating symptoms were dismissed by my OB/GYN, my cardiologist, my psychiatrist. I was at rock bottom. I knew there had to be a better life out there than just riding the waves of rage, paranoia, crippling sadness and fatigue. After confessing the state of my mental health to my primary care physician, she suggested revisiting SSRIs, but this time, in a way that actually supported my PMDD. But what happens when your prescription bottle instructs “take daily for 14 days prior to menses” and you have absolutely no idea when your period might decide to show?
That’s where Charting saved my life. I learned about the four phases of my cycle, discovered exactly what drives each process, and how my body communicates this information to me. I learned how to identify the symptoms that were derailing my life, and why they were presenting in the first place. I learned how to build a lifestyle that didn’t just resign to these symptoms, but supported them. I learned how to predict my period with scary accuracy, reduce my symptoms, transition off of SSRIs entirely, and reclaim my time. But most importantly, I learned how to help you do the same.
My Approach
What began as a desperate bid for self-healing became a passion. Purpose. Because once you realize your period symptoms are not something you are required to endure, that they are not just the price of womanhood, there is no turning back.
Having been in your shoes, I take a compassionate, holistic approach to your health, treating you as a whole person, not a symptom to be fixed.
Science-based
Given my background, it’s very important to me to ensure any health resources I provide you are well-researched & evidence-based
Individualized
You and your body are one of a kind. Together, we will create the user manual for your unique body, that makes your cycle feel effortless & painless.