Let's Talk About... PMS

 I don't care if you think it's icky, this is a conversation that needs to be had.

 I know there's a tendency for certain cisgendered men to put anything a woman says that they don't like down to 'her being on her period', which is incredibly misogynistic and incredibly stupid.

 Clearly, they want to put it down to PMS, but they also clearly don't even know what the hell they're talking about.

 Exactly what do they think the 'P' in PMS stands for?

 It stands for 'pre', which means before guys. It's not 'puring menstrual syndrome'.

 You make yourselves look like idiots as well as misogynists when you accuse a woman of being on her period.

 If you're wondering why I'm bringing this up, my own PMS was partly responsible for my absence this week.

 (If that's too much information, you need to rethink your priorities. I'm of childbearing age, it was overwhelmingly likely that I would have a fully functioning reproductive system. Don't throw a hissy fit just because you've had that confirmed.)

 The menstrual cycle comes with a suite of hormonal changes, these cause a series of issues in a woman's body. Including, but not limited to, skin issues and mood swings.

 (I'm concentrating on cisgendered women in this because I am one. Also, my period makes me hate my body, thinking about how transgendered men feel is very depressing.)

 Since we're talking about PMS, let's have a quick talk about the hormones that change prior to the actual menstruation. Basically, oestrogen goes on a holiday and the body is suddenly more heavily affected by testosterone.

 Yup, you read that right. When men think women are at their most unreasonable is when their hormones are most like those of a man's.

 (This is also the cause of hormonal acne in women.)

 For me personally, these hormonal changes make my mood more... fragile. It takes a lot less than it would otherwise to upset me. Since I'm already depressed, this is a real problem.

 Inconsequential things can cause a horrible dip in my mood, which was pretty much what happened last weekend.

 I wasn't posting this week because I hadn't really recovered from that dip.

 I feel much better now, so things should be getting back on track.

 Hopefully.