"Oh, it's not THAT bad" (warning, rant on feminine issues)

[Amanita]

Just what is that herbal remedy? Do you have to take it every day like the Pill, or just during that time of the month?

[telecom_goddess]

Just what is that herbal remedy? Do you have to take it every day like the Pill, or just during that time of the month?

I'm curious too if it works that well I'd be interested in trying it.

Gettin' tired of the superplus tampons and overnight pads for backup myself. And periods that last a week and a half.

[BlaqueKatt]

Just what is that herbal remedy? Do you have to take it every day like the Pill, or just during that time of the month?

Just during that time of the month, it's a liquid, you mix drops with a small amount of water 4x-5x day(label says 30-40 drops)

shepards purse-there are other brands(and prices vary like everything else), this is the brand I use and a bottle this size lasts me about 3-5 months

and some information on how it works-as with everything, talk to your health care provider to make sure it's safe with any other medications/health issues you may have. A large number of midwives use it for postpartum bleeding, and I'm lucky enough to have a nearby pharmacy where the pharmacist is also a licensed herbalist.

[Ree]

I don't think I ever "loved" having my period, but count me among those who think today's women are a bunch of whiners when it comes to that time of the month.
In fact, just last week, I said that to one of my coworkers, a woman who is older than me, but with whom I have worked for 25 years, and who has rarely even missed a single day of work for a period, or for any other health issue.
I work with a young girl who, every time she gets her period, goes on and on about feeling sick and needing to go home.

I went into premature menopause at 39. I was plagued with gynecological problems from the day I started menstruation.
When I did have my periods, I had severe pain and heavy periods.

*Slightly gross TMI*
Sometimes, I would pass huge clots for several days. I could actually feel them passing.
(I found out years later I had fibroids and a uterine polyp, as well as ovarian cysts.)
I would feel nauseated, headachy and moody. Some days, I just wanted to sit and cry, and other times, I wanted to rip someone's head off.

I don't think I ever missed a day of school or work because I had my period. I felt it was all just a part of nature, and I had to deal, and I did.

I get a little tired of the advertising and hype that has turned a woman's menstrual cycle into an abnormality, and has given permission to women to blame everything on their period.

Everything has to be treated with some magic pill.

Don't misunderstand me. There's nothing wrong with taking stuff to minimize symptoms. In fact, if it helps a woman so that she is comfortable and able to do her job, more power to her. Just don't tack on all the "syndromes" and "disorders" to something that women have endured since the beginning of time.

Ever since they stuck on that "PMS" label, it started a mentality that periods are not normal and we must do everything in our power to eliminate them, as they turn women into either cowering, blubbering messes, or raging psychopaths, capable of violence.

Now we have premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), which is another validation to whine about the trials and tribulations of a period.

Every time one turns around, on CS, we have yet another thread where women share all the little details of their periods and seemingly try to outdo each other with the horror of their monthly cycles. It's as if enduring a monthly cycle has become some badge of honour.

I have no doubt that some women experience terrible physical and emotional symptoms during their cycle. I am not belittling it.

I'm sure it must be terrible for some women.

I just find it funny that women have fought so hard for "equality" and demanded to be treated fairly in the workplace, and yet, at the first sign of a period, they retreat into "speshul snowflake" status and take to their beds, and expect to be given a pass.

Then, some of these same women, confronted with a coworker who is pregnant and complaining about the symptoms, will scoff and roll their eyes and say, "OMG...she's just having a baby. She's not dying."

[guywithashovel]

When I was in high school, there was evidently an issue with girls missing because of periods. One time, the principal made an announcement over the PA system talking about the importance of good school attendance, and he commented that some girls had been missing school for "stupid reasons." It really ticked a bunch of girls off.

[Lace Neil Singer]

As for whether or not my PMS is genuine, you don't have to take my word for it; just ask my parents and Fiance. Tho I most certainly do not use it as an excuse to be a bitch. I know I get mood swings and snap for no reason, so I make a giant effort to control myself while out in public. It's not hard; after decades of living with PMS I'd think that I should certainly be able to do so.

[Ree]

I'm not saying severe PMS doesn't exist in some women. After all, what I described experiencing, myself, could probably be termed PMS.

I do think a lot of women are using the term quite loosely to describe normal hormonal effects, and, sometimes, as an excuse to behave badly.

Maybe its just my pain threshold. (I know I do have quite a high threshold, and that can make me a little less patient or understanding with other people who are doubled over by something that I am able to function through.)

[Lace Neil Singer]

My pain threshold is weird; as in, I can cut my arm up with knives and be able to take that pain, but a period stomach cramp makes me feel very bad. -.-

[BlaqueKatt]

I do think a lot of women are using the term quite loosely to describe normal hormonal effects, and, sometimes, as an excuse to behave badly.

you may be correct

So what does the science say? Well, if the researchers don't tell their subjects what they're looking for, they find no correlation between mood alteration and the menstrual cycle. Even among studies that do find a correlation between PMS and mood, many of them place PMS in completely different places in the woman's cycle.
The biggest problem here is separating culture from biology. Or, more specifically, the way we write off cultural effects as biological.

5 Gender Stereotypes That Used To Be the Exact Opposite -some may dismiss due to the source, however the research is cited.