As women, we could all agree that getting your period sucks! The cramps, acne, bloating, mood swings, headaches, body aches, irritability, stress and so much more are just a pain in the ass. The annoying part of PMSing is that sometimes you don’t even notice the symptoms. You could go all week displaying symptoms and be completely confused until day 1 begins.
And the crazy part of it all is every woman’s experience is different. I remember freaking out my best friend because I was curled in a ball on the floor wrapped in a blanket. I could barely move and with every word, I felt nauseous. She freaked because she never experienced cramps let alone on that level. As women, we joke and say that the women who don’t get cramps and only have their period for less than 4 days are God’s favorites. We complain that men don’t understand what we go through and honestly most don’t take the time to understand.
You have to “Hold IT”
I remember reading a story about a teenage girl asking her teacher to go to the bathroom because she was having girl issues. The male teacher said no because the rule is no using the bathroom while class is in session and told her to hold it until the break-in 30minutes. Hold it?! As if that was even possible!
The lack of knowledge some men have is honestly shocking. You would think that a country that cares so much about controlling the woman’s body would try to educate people more about it. As a woman we have to be cautious of leaking, sneezing too hard( ladies you know what I mean), and getting caught not wearing a pad.
When first starting out you are still learning about your body and you don’t know how often you should change your sanitary napkin. You especially don’t keep track of the days to remember when you are supposed to get your period. At any age, some of these are hard to prep for. There are many layers to a menstrual cycle that it’s hard to keep track of. So many things can change your cycle from your diet and exercise to your birth control.
Why is it that every time a woman gets upset or angry it is assumed that she is on her period?
As if she couldn’t possibly be at her limit. I know a lot of women that hold in a lot of frustration because they don’t want to be considered “that woman”. PMS is responsible for some of the behaviors that women express however, it’s far from an excuse. Having a menstrual cycle can drastically change a woman’s mood. If I’m being completely honest with myself I have mostly two moods during my cycle, sentimental and irritable.
I go between these two moods depending on what I’m doing and who I’m talking to. I could feel a wave of sadness at watching certain commercials and then I could be completely annoyed at the way someone is breathing around me. And don’t get me started on the effects of taking birth control.
I appreciate the men that will take the time out to learn about the women in their lives. My boyfriend asked questions and cared for me when my cramps were especially bad. I feel that men need to step up and take the time to learn. I am not saying men need to know all the gory details but to have some knowledge to be able to care for the women in their life.
I can’t tell you how frustrating it is being told that I have no reason to be tired, the pain isn’t that bad, don’t be dramatic, having your period isn’t an excuse to be “bitchy”. I mean how would you feel if you were crying over nothing, eating anything and everything, or having your uterus stab you a thousand and one times just because it wanted a baby. I don’t think women get enough credit for how strong they are. We bleed for several days straight, we go through intense body changes and still be able to go to work, and be a mother and wife like nothing has happened.
Click here to read more Personal Stories. Never miss an article by subscribing to our weekly newsletter.
Help the conversation continue…share this article with your friends, family, and colleagues by sharing it on social media.
