Pre-menstrual syndrome, commonly known as PMSing is a condition that affects a menstruator’s emotion, physical health and behaviour during certain days of the menstrual cycle. So that’s the definition. All precise and clear.
Also Read: Not All Women Have Periods, Not All Who Have Periods Are Women
But how many of us, both boys and girls, really understand what PMSing does to a menstruator emotionally? Let’s look at why it is not just an ‘excuse’ or a random cause to pin a woman’s outburst on.
PMSing is Not an excuse
We have all had instances when we pretend to be normal while arguing with some of our male friends/partners. Some of their blatant remarks rattle us to the core. We try to make the conversation as peaceful as possible. But as humans, we tend to have an outburst sometimes.
At this moment, have you heard these strings of ‘muthukal’ come out of their mouths, “Enthina choodaawnne, PMSing aano?” There. Just hold it right there. While we greatly appreciate the fact that you realise we do lose our shit during our periods, please do not make it a ‘prop’ to use at your whim and fancy. Arguments and anger outbursts are not always a side effect of PMSing. Sometimes, we do have to scream so that you listen.
Grab a bite if you feel like it too. Do not question my ‘theetti’
Menstruation and its cycle is not just a ‘customised’ monthly subscription pack that leaves you in turmoil during the bleeding days. It also plays around with your bodily hormones way before it starts. Some of us face anxiety attacks, bloatedness and mood swings. Others face less known consequences like perpetual hunger, food cravings or even loss of appetite.
Do you know what’s worse than getting your finger trapped in ‘elippetti’? It is telling a woman or asking her to cut short on her food intake during these days. Mmm yes, we could live a whole day on chocolate ice cream and ‘micher’ if that’s what we feel like having. Just don’t ask, please. Get your own bowl for God’s sake!
“Ithippo putheeth onnum allello! Enthina pinne ee overacting?”
We sometimes have no reply to these beautiful ‘varikal’ but in our heads, we have already shoved you off a cliff, kicked your balls out, scratched your face and …mm ok, you get it. Sure, we have been going through menstruation since our teens. But it doesn’t mean we ‘get used to it’. It’s not like ‘ayalathe veetile auntyde remarks’ that you get used to overtime. This is real. You feel it. At regular intervals. You know it’s coming and you try to be as ‘natural’ as possible but you lose it sometimes, and that’s perfectly normal.
Yea, sometimes I cry over puppies shaking their booties! I blame PMSing
The emotional turmoil during premenstrual days is unreal. You might catch us laughing our heads off at some random Tintumon joke. But, the next minute we might be bawling our eyes out over a video where white mice twitch their noses to music!
The picture is as random and as real as that.
At this point, allow yourself to be fed a really simple decoction of biology. So basically, the level of hormones in the human body – estrogen, progesterone, and serotonin – brings out the dual personality in us. Serotonin is the hormone that is responsible for moods. Two weeks prior to our period, some of us find serotonin hit rock bottom which explains this behaviour.
Also Read: Happy Two-Year Menstrual Cup Anniversary To Me
Therefore, next time you find your partner in situations like the above, try saying, “Haa ith ni alla, ninte serotonin aan!” She will either go “Awww!” or be dazed at the clever words that came out. Works either way.
People are generating awareness regarding menstruation. There are many people accepting menstruation as part of our bodies. That said, PMSing is not spoken of as much as it should. Many of our parents are unaware of such a thing. While it’s just a temporary state of affairs for many of us menstruators, it is more complicated than it seems.
They tend to slip into depression or end up taking sleeping pills. Their immediate friends and family may not even notice these changes. Even if they do, they seldom have the awareness to trace back to PMS as the root cause. This is not a very solid attempt to educate you guys on PMSing. But take note to read about it and talk about it.
And the next time you feel like you are going to pass a really dumb comment at a woman, be like Unnithan (Manichitrathazhu) and say, “Onnulya, kuttikk onnulya!“
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