The validity of PMS

[Christianbookworm]

Is it for real? Or is it just an excuse to eat more chocolate!

[QuantaFille]

It is absolutely, completely, horribly, debilitatingly real for some women, including me. For others it's a mild inconvenience.

And I really don't like chocolate.

[draw2much]

Oh it's real! In fact, I get ALL of the physical symptoms of it... HURRAH.

Growing up my Mom would never allow PMS as an excuse for ANYTHING. So even though I can get some pretty intense mood swings I've been trained to keep them under control. I can't seem to control the crying though, no matter how hard I try. (And I do cry, over everything. I'm just one big weeping blob, it's sad.) As an adult, I'm glad for my Mom being hard on me about it. I can now project a front of sanity and professionalism even when I'm feeling crazy inside thanks to her. (It's saved my husband's bacon quite a few times too!)

[Christianbookworm]

[Christianbookworm]

It is absolutely, completely, horribly, debilitatingly real for some women, including me. For others it's a mild inconvenience.

And I really don't like chocolate.

But what would you do for the symptoms?

[Catholicity]

Actually I have it so bad that I have to take antidepressants around that time and I have to take additional seizure medicine to control my additional seizure I can expect. Its real.

[Christianbookworm]

I guess I was wondering if the media portrayal was accurate. And the prevalence level.

[draw2much]

I don't think the media portrayal accurately shows the level of suffering women truly go through with PMS. They really only talk about the more mild symptoms (cravings and mood swings) and then usually in a comedic light. I feel that the constant flippant attitude the media uses towards PMS and periods in general is sort of disrespectful to women. It's not that it can never be funny (because it can be), but that it sort of belittles the problems PMS brings up in a woman's life and makes it seem like it's "not a big deal" and "aren't women just crazy?!"... as if men could function even half as well as women under the same circumstances.

Ok... well.. to be fair.. for some women it's not a big deal. And for them, they should go happily skipping through life and being grateful that they won the genetic lottery. (While I sit here and burn with jealousy, lol...) But I don't particularly like having all women treated like we're nutters or unreasonably because we're dealing with a physical issue that puts us in a vulnerable emotional state.

WE DESERVE SOME SYMPATHY! (And whatever it is we're craving while they're at it.)



...


...see there, I made a joke. Don't want anyone to think I'm taking this topic too serious. ;)

[Celebrian]

I guess I was wondering if the media portrayal was accurate. And the prevalence level.

How prevalent do you think the media says it is? I know I get it, but I don't really have an idea how many women do.

[QuantaFille]

Oh it's real! In fact, I get ALL of the physical symptoms of it... HURRAH.

Growing up my Mom would never allow PMS as an excuse for ANYTHING. So even though I can get some pretty intense mood swings I've been trained to keep them under control. I can't seem to control the crying though, no matter how hard I try. (And I do cry, over everything. I'm just one big weeping blob, it's sad.) As an adult, I'm glad for my Mom being hard on me about it. I can now project a front of sanity and professionalism even when I'm feeling crazy inside thanks to her. (It's saved my husband's bacon quite a few times too!)

(Warning: this post might be a bit TMI.)

My mother was the same way, but maybe I am luckier than you in that the only symptoms I got were bad diarreah, vomiting, profuse sweating, mood change/irritability and usually a mild headache and/or backache. I didn't get all the other symptoms along with those, like food craving and cramps and the like. I didn't have insomnia, I don't think, the only reason I didn't sleep that first night each time was because I was in the bathroom all night. My mother not letting me use it as an excuse prepared me for later on when I had jobs that did not have paid sick leave. I would go to work anyway that day and only leave early once the diarreah and vomiting got too frequent for me to actually do my job. I wish I'd been able to ask for that day off but I never knew how many weeks I'd have before my cycle decided to randomly start over.

But anyway, I did eventually get a job that not only had paid sick leave, but I could afford healthcare which means I finally saw a doctor and am medicated for it now. I haven't had to stay home from work since. I love modern medicine.

[QuantaFille]

But what would you do for the symptoms?

I tried EVERYTHING that didn't require me to see a doctor, as I couldn't afford it.

I tried herbal remedies, I tried cutting sugar completely out of my diet, I tried homeopathic remedies... I tried it all. Since sugar can make it worse I knew not to eat chocolate. Sometimes a heating pad on my belly helped somewhat, but I couldn't walk around like that at work obviously.
It got so bad that I was starting to get mild panic attacks once the bleeding started because I knew what was coming within the next few hours.

Only once I saw a doctor and started taking birth control pills did I finally get any relief.

[Christianbookworm]

homeopathic remedies... really? You know it's just water, right? Placebo effect?

[QuantaFille]

homeopathic remedies... really? You know it's just water, right? Placebo effect?

I was that desperate. I was taking it just in case it really worked. I was scraping the bottom of the barrel of things to try by that point.

[Christianbookworm]

I was that desperate. I was taking it just in case it really worked. I was scraping the bottom of the barrel of things to try by that point.

Hope you feel better. No pain in the New Universe!

[QuantaFille]

Hope you feel better. No pain in the New Universe!

I am appropriately medicated now. This stuff really works.
This is the part where I would start ranting about having to put up with it for so many years before I could see a doctor because of our messed up healthcare system, but that's another thread for another day.