Periods

[Andy]

One for the girls mainly this one.

I was gonna put it in the adult section but then I thought there's plenty of females here under 18 who can offer equally useful and sensible advice.

Ok so here's the deal, I don't know a great deal about the whole thing, I know the basics, I don't wanna know any more

I think like with most men, we don't need to know, or we don't wanna know, we just hear the words "women's troubles" and we stop asking questions

But there is something I wanna know when it comes to the whole hormones and being moody thing. How much does it really affect you girls? And please be honest.

I'm trying hard not to sound like a typical "man" who neither knows nor cares about this sort of thing but I'd really like to know how much it changes the way you think, or influences the things you say. Does it make you blurt things out before thinking? Does it make you more irrational or unreasonable? Does it last for hours at a time or does it come and go?

Me and Tanja just had a few words, it wasn't an argument and we weren't shouting but she said a few things that were a bit hurtful just before she went to sleep. I'd be surprised and actually a bit disappointed if she turns around in the morning and says she had no idea they got to me, or got to me enough to make this thread but they did.

She was tired too as she's worked two 10-hour days in succession so I do take all these things into account. I decided to just let her get some sleep rather than continue with our little back-and-forth so I went and watched some football and now I'm on LFAD putting off going to bed lol.

Anyways, I'm sorry if the way I've worded this has offended any of you girls, but I'd be really interested to hear your replies. And please try to be as honest as possible about yourselves. Thanks.

And just so the guys don't feel left out - do you have any similar experiences?

[Caitlin2009]

i know a day or two before i get mine im super emotional(more then normal lol) and i get angry for no reason the littest things will set me off, and having PMDD only makes it worse. Denise is the same way right before she get hers, doesnt help when were already stressed to the hilt about things. When we have an argument while thats happening we do what we normally do which is talk it out until its solved

[lisaar910]

I think every woman is a bit different in exactly how it affects us. With me, I think it's more that everything is intensified. If something bad happens, it can feel like the end of the world when normally I would shrug it off, and I'll cry for stupid things. The worst part is being completely unreasonable and irrational though. That's the part that really makes me feel like I have no control over my emotions. As far as how long it affects me, it's usually just a few days, but those few days can be anytime between a few days before through a few days after.

I always feel bad when I finally realize (IF I realize) that I've taken it out on someone else, especially Will. As much as I hate it though, I haven't found any way to control it. I hope this helps some.

[Zephii]

The thing most guys don't get -and this annoys me - is that hormones are an issue ALL THE BLOODY TIME not just when we're on our periods. Or, at least, that's how it is for me. Even on the pill I can feel the tiniest shifts in my hormones, and some days it's enough to drive me mental.

When something bad happens I always have to ask myself "Am I really affected by this or am I just hormonal?" Sometimes I'll need to wait a couple of days to figure it out, and other times I'll think back to the last time something similar happened and see if I felt the same that time around. It's frustrating to not be able to always trust your first reaction.

Some times, especially close to period time, I'll be randomly upset for no reason and I find my social anxiety disorder is often at its worst around that time too. There have been a couple of times I've been so distressed I couldn't go to work and cried and cried until Obi reassured me that for this one day I could stay home. Work is always bad for me but usually I can man it up, but at these times my ability to cope is compromised. I'm just not a strong person at "that time of the month".

The other thing to consider is the pain. Obi always seems to forget the pain that comes, and thinks "oh it's hormones" or remembers the messy side, but never the pain. Sometimes it's just hard to think and be polite for the same reason it's harder to be nice when you're sick or injured. You feel like crap. That's just how it is, and when you feel like that, you don't have the patience to deal with other people as well.

It doesn't make me blurt anything out, though I will get waspish, or what I do say might come out with the wrong tone. But most of the time I can hear it too, and will apologise and try again. It does make me angry at people who don't deserve it, but I'm getting better at recognizing that I'm being a bitch, and limiting the verbal contact I have with others at that time. Women are irrational at the best of times, so I can't tell if my period makes that worse

Sometimes it comes and goes in waves and sometimes the moodiness is steady - kind of like the pain. When it's really bad it can last for days, other times it's there but in the background and it requires a catalyst before it's unleashed.

With all that said, a lot of women use it as an excuse and that drives me mental. Yes, you're in pain, you've lost control of your own emotions temporarily and your body is telling you that the world is about to end. But, you still need to make a damn effort to function! I used to know a woman who thought a period was the perfect excuse to get out of life for a week. For the week she wore nothing but red clothing, used only red towels (on the rare occasion she showered. She didn't like showering when bleeding - especially washing her hair) wouldn't do any kind of work, wouldn't eat certain foods, and a whole slew of other things - including teaching her daughter that this was appropriate behavior.
Sometimes women will say or do something they regret and then use "I was on my period" as an excuse in the same way people say "I was drunk". Annoying.
Women still have the ability to control there actions to some degree, and still have the ability to prepare in advance if their symptoms are unusually bad.

[Rach321]

Lisaar910 is right on point in terms of how it affects me. It can vary depending on the month and what else is happening in my life, but I do notice that I react much more strongly than I normally would, both positively and negatively, mostly negatively.

If I'm frustrated, I'm more frustrated than normal. If I'm angry or hurt, it's the same. I also find it's harder for me to think rationally about my reaction and make a decision to react differently. When I cry, it's nearly impossible for me to stop. I'm also much more anxious, and I have more trouble sleeping. Sometimes I'm aware that it's my hormones that are causing me to act this way, but even still, it's hard for me to control it. Usually it starts a few days before and goes throughout my period.

I've started telling my SO when it gets close to that time of the month. That way, if he sees that I'm reacting especially strongly to something, he can be more patient with me. Thankfully, he's usually very patient and gentle with me.

Hope things are better in the morning! Definitely working so much would make anyone more irritable than normal.

[Rach321]

hmm-- something weird's going on with LFAD- I didn't mean to double-post!

[lisaar910]

I used to know a woman who thought a period was the perfect excuse to get out of life for a week. For the week she wore nothing but red clothing, used only red towels (on the rare occasion she showered. She didn't like showering when bleeding - especially washing her hair) wouldn't do any kind of work, wouldn't eat certain foods, and a whole slew of other things - including teaching her daughter that this was appropriate behavior.

That's crazy!!

[Zephii]

That's crazy!!

And smelly. You have no idea!

[Zephii]

That's crazy!!

And smelly. You have no idea!

[squiddie]

Maybe it's because I'm not on a hormone-controlled medication, but I don't mood swing that much. Then again, if someone says I'm being bratty because I'm on my period...their head will get bitten off. Maybe I'm just moody because I'm cranky about something else.

But I've found the moods are mostly self-image related. Because during this same time I tend to retain water and I always break out right before my period. Which is absurdly irritating because I have generally good skin the rest of the month.

I know I take it out on people, namely Penn...but I always apologize right away. Also, don't feel alone on this. Penn didn't know what PMS stood for until I told him about 6 months ago.

[Trethsparr]

Penn didn't know what PMS stood for until I told him about 6 months ago.

Pardon My Sobbing? At least that's what it seems to stand for to me.

[Zephii]

Pardon My Sobbing? At least that's what it seems to stand for to me.

LMAO! That's great. I'm so using this some time!

[Caitlin2009]

Pardon My Sobbing? At least that's what it seems to stand for to me.

LMAO!!! well that seems to happen as well for a good few weeks

Quote Originally Posted by Zephii View Post
I used to know a woman who thought a period was the perfect excuse to get out of life for a week. For the week she wore nothing but red clothing, used only red towels (on the rare occasion she showered. She didn't like showering when bleeding - especially washing her hair) wouldn't do any kind of work, wouldn't eat certain foods, and a whole slew of other things - including teaching her daughter that this was appropriate behavior.

that is just gross!!! thats something you do only if your just starting your period and have no idea what to do

[Andy]

Thanks for all the replies so far girls, very helpful from what I've skimmed over, I'll give them a proper read in the morning when I'm morw awake, it's definitely bed time now

Night night

[JoMarie]

Here is my take on things...

Hormones have their way of working differently with different women. When I am PMSing I am WAY more emotional than normal. I find that the littlest things make me break down and cry. (If Kevin says he loves me, but in a bored tone or what I perceive as a bored tone.) Things really make me sad.

Now when I am cramping...that's a different story. I have the crazy sad emotions on top of super bad uber awful pain. I have PCOS so I cramp way worse, and god it hurts. I am cranky, but mostly I just want to be left alone. I don't want to be cuddled or hugged or touched, I just like to be left alone. Not to say that I can't function because that is not the case, but I find I lash out a lot more when I am in pain and if I am left alone I have no one to lash at!