I think it is a trend that men in general are less inquisitive about each other’s personal lives and discuss them less often, yes. I don’t think that’s an inherently good or bad thing but I think it’s true. Also, it’s worth noting that the “PMS mood swings are a social construct” theory is still listed as an “Alternative Theory” on the Wikipedia page and the handful of women I’ve talked to about it have all said no, the mood swings are definitely real.
Don’t let me get in the way of what you think, or what wikipedia and other women have told you. I’m basing basing my comment on the psychology courses I’ve taken.
It’s important to note that research on PMS has been fraught with medical, historical and personal biases. This is a very well done article on why the issue is incredibly nuanced: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565629/
The other reason this is a sore spot for me is because I am a woman who lived with undiagnosed mental and physical disorders for over ten years because my complaints were disregarded as menstrual symptoms. I was eager to internalize that because of prevalent media that pushes the idea of the hormone-driven, irrational female, without providing the basis for those claims.
As it turns out, being in a whole fuck lot of pain and having doctors tell you that’s normal can make someone pretty irritated.
Sorry, I don’t understand. Were you experiencing severe pain and mental symptoms related to your menstrual cycle? If so, why would you be arguing against the notion that PMS symptoms are real? If anything I would think telling women “nope sorry, your perceived symptoms are all in your head, that is just a patriarchal myth that you’ve internalized” is more condescending than saying that PMS symptoms are real.
I’m gonna be honest I didn’t read that entire chapter but I think I get the gist of it. King posits that PMS is falsely understood to be a primarily mental/mood-related condition due to the underlying sexist belief that women are fundamentally irrational and overly emotional. Sure, no disagreement there. PMS has sort of become a meme and a cultural phenomenon, which may cause women and men both to play up the mood swing side of it. With that said, “The chief complaint is one or more of the emotional symptoms associated with PMS. Irritability, tension, or unhappiness are typical emotional symptoms”. According again to Wikipedia which in my experience is more accurate than any single source or anecdote.
I think it is a trend that men in general are less inquisitive about each other’s personal lives and discuss them less often, yes. I don’t think that’s an inherently good or bad thing but I think it’s true. Also, it’s worth noting that the “PMS mood swings are a social construct” theory is still listed as an “Alternative Theory” on the Wikipedia page and the handful of women I’ve talked to about it have all said no, the mood swings are definitely real.
Don’t let me get in the way of what you think, or what wikipedia and other women have told you. I’m basing basing my comment on the psychology courses I’ve taken.
It’s important to note that research on PMS has been fraught with medical, historical and personal biases. This is a very well done article on why the issue is incredibly nuanced: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK565629/
The other reason this is a sore spot for me is because I am a woman who lived with undiagnosed mental and physical disorders for over ten years because my complaints were disregarded as menstrual symptoms. I was eager to internalize that because of prevalent media that pushes the idea of the hormone-driven, irrational female, without providing the basis for those claims.
As it turns out, being in a whole fuck lot of pain and having doctors tell you that’s normal can make someone pretty irritated.
Sorry, I don’t understand. Were you experiencing severe pain and mental symptoms related to your menstrual cycle? If so, why would you be arguing against the notion that PMS symptoms are real? If anything I would think telling women “nope sorry, your perceived symptoms are all in your head, that is just a patriarchal myth that you’ve internalized” is more condescending than saying that PMS symptoms are real.
I feel like you need to read my comment and the link provided again.
I’m gonna be honest I didn’t read that entire chapter but I think I get the gist of it. King posits that PMS is falsely understood to be a primarily mental/mood-related condition due to the underlying sexist belief that women are fundamentally irrational and overly emotional. Sure, no disagreement there. PMS has sort of become a meme and a cultural phenomenon, which may cause women and men both to play up the mood swing side of it. With that said, “The chief complaint is one or more of the emotional symptoms associated with PMS. Irritability, tension, or unhappiness are typical emotional symptoms”. According again to Wikipedia which in my experience is more accurate than any single source or anecdote.