Pre-Menstrual Syndrome - Breaking the Taboo
By Juliet Platt
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Treating PMDD and PMS
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Millions of women experience a time towards the end of their cycle when they feel low, angry, anti-social and unable to cope with daily tasks. Many women also experience physical pain and discomfort at this time.
The symptoms and causes of problems associated with hormonal change and pre-menstrual syndrome are attributed to a vast array of triggers - from imbalances in estrogen and progesterone, animal growth hormones, food intolerances, poor diet, little exercise or too much alcohol and caffeine - and there are now reams of therapeutic advice available recommending this or that remedy and lifestyle change.
Of course, that the condition of PMS is being taken seriously is a positive step. Western society - women and men included - has spent too long believing that PMS symptoms are a liability, or are psychosomatic, and need to be dismissed entirely from the imagination in order to achieve a smooth and homogenous daily experience.
However, with so many remedies, lifestyle changes and health approaches being recommended, we are in danger of seeing the taboo of PMS swinging the other way. Instead of being something about which society is in denial, it is now being treated as an unacceptable feature of life, against which positive steps must be taken for eradication.
This "find it and fix it" mentality is a very male one, espoused as much by men as by women in modern society, though it is no surprise that many purveyors of health supplements and dietary advice are men. So what if, in order to truly break the taboo around PMS, we choose to respond to our feminine symptoms as opposed to resisting and reacting to them?
The menstrual cycle is nature's way of preparing our bodies to create new life. As women we are blessed with the creative ability to conceive and nurture life from its very beginning. What if we learned to accept and embrace our monthly experience by tuning into our body, hearing its message, and responding in a way that respects what it is telling us?
Historically the western world has marched to the beat of a masculine drum. Male hormonal cycles are much shorter, usually taking 24 hours, rather than the 28 days of the female cycle. This shorter frequency means we tend to view men's behaviour as more constant and predictable, while women have gained a reputation of blowing hot and cold depending on the time of the month.
Breaking the taboo around PMS involves women discovering the gift that there is in our symptoms. It means deepening our self-awareness about how to respond best to our experience, and learning how to conduct the powerful conversations in our lives to be able to march to the beat of our own drum.
This way I am sure our modern way of living and working will have the best chance of transforming into something which supports and honours women's particular skills and contribution, which in turn may just transform the world.
Juliet Platt is a writer, workshop faciliatator, and Certified Professional Coactive Coach. She lives and works in Wiltshire, England with her husband and 2 children. She writes regularly for local magazines, and is an award-winning short story writer. She works as an associate facilitator and coach with Stillpoint Associates http://www.stillpointassociates.com.
Recommended Reading
Treating PMDD and PMS
You don't need to struggle living
with PMS and PMDD
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