Debunking myths about women on their periods

Many of us have this misconception of what exactly happens to women when they are on their periods. Apart from physical effects such as cramps and bloating, women also have a few hormonal changes that influence their emotions. Through this article, I'd like to see if I can debunk some of these misconceptions of what women are like when on their periods.

No, we aren't losing our minds.

Many a times, people assume that because our emotions are mildly influenced, all of our behavior is the result of hormonal changes in the body.
Well, that's not the case at all. If your girlfriend is yelling at you uncontrollably, it isn't because she's on her period and henceforth is going crazy. It's because you pissed her off and she doesn't have the usual patience to deal with it.

We don't 'get crazy' when we're on our periods. We just have a lot going on in our bodies, therefore we may not feel like dealing with your issues the same time that we're trying to deal with the immense amount of pain and discomfort we're having to constantly deal with. All with a smile.

We are perfectly capable of making decisions.

Yes, some women do feel overwhelmingly emotional right before their periods. This is known as the premenstrual syndrome. However, this in no way compromises our decision making skills. We are perfectly capable of dealing with any important decisions that have to be made when we're on our periods.

When I say that women may feel overwhelmed by emotion when they are going through the premenstrual syndrome, I mean, something you may have said to your mother, sister or girlfriend that usually doesn't affect her as much may have upset her a little more today. But the irony is you won't even know when it hit her and how she dealt with it.

She may have had a good cry in the bathroom at work because she couldn't find ramen at the grocery store today. It isn't like we'll launch missiles because we felt upset today. It's more about the little things and we're perfectly capable of dealing with it on our own. Because, as I said, these feelings don't interfere with our ability to make decisions. The condition you're thinking of is stupidity.

Cramps hurt.

No, females don't just have a low tolerance for pain. Cramps can hurt. For many women, the pain can be so severe that it starts to affect their daily life activities. They have to take the day off of work and lay in bed because it hurts to move. Some women, for whom it may be slightly less severe, have to power through the pain with a smile plastered to their faces. You have no idea how much it hurts so please for God's sake, don't comment on it.

There's nothing to be ashamed of

Lots of women have trouble talking about the very normal process of periods and feel that it is something that should be hidden. It has been deemed as a topic that is taboo in many cultures and it's high time that it changes.

Periods are a sign of a healthy developing body and it shouldn't be something that women are afraid to talk about. In fact, because it can be an inconvenience, both women and men should be taught how to deal with any issues that may arise. If not anything this knowledge will keep people from making ridiculous assumptions.  

The only reason that such myths exist are because people aren't given this knowledge about the details of what goes on in a man and a woman's body. Such topics are misunderstood because people aren't ready to talk about it and this is what we have to change. If people are comfortable enough to ask questions about the human biology then they will be more open to understanding them! Now if any of you witness anyone believing in such myths, go ahead and debunk it! You know now!

Syeda Erum Noor is dangerously oblivious and has no sense of time. Send help at erum.noor1998@gmail.com