How do you deal with PMT as a feminist?

I am interested to hear people's views on how PMT relates to women doing jobs that are traditionally male dominated. I would worry about a woman with raging pmt being on the front line in the army for example. I'm not sure I'd want a weepy, emotional woman flying a plane I'm in either.

I gave up on feminism in the 1980s when I was told - by a so-called feminist - that the postnatal psychosis (x2) and monthly PMDD I suffered were not linked to my female biology, because if they were it would make women inferior to men. My daughter was told more or less the same, by a different medical professional, in the 2000s. Luckily for her, she found a genuinely compassionate and feminist - in the sense of respecting and valuing women and their bodies - doctor who was able to treat her appropriately.
It’s only the antics of transactivists that have brought me back, with the threat they pose to the existence of womanhood. My biology is my biology, with its reality and its disadvantages. I adapt my lifestyle and take appropriate medication to mitigate the disadvantages (which for many years included heavy bleeding for weeks and months on end, as well as the psychological effects). I am inferior to no man on the basis of my biology. No woman should feel she should downplay her discomfort in the interests of political correctness.

Stop denying who you are might be a good start.

I've never had PMT and I'm sure I read somewhere that actually only a minority of women get noticeable and problematic mood related symptoms. I do have very painful periods sometimes, and unfortunately so does my dd. dh has always been sympathetic and concerned when we are in pain, and ds says he's glad he's a guy and is also sympathetic. It's crap that some men are so stupid about periods and like to wind women up when they perceive them to be disagreeable by dismissing their grievances and essentially gaslighting them as being a result of hormones instead of whatever is really making us pissed off. Not to say that women who have big hormonal fluctuations which do affect their emotional state don't have that experience but I do think that it's easy to ascribe feeling cross or emotional to PMT when there are actually very good reasons why you might be feeling that way regardless of what hormones are circulating in your body.

I'm past that, but I used to drink lots of water the week before, and take a OTC for pain. That helped for moods too.

You can ask an ob gyn to help, but be careful about hormones.I almost got fired while taking progesterone.

A friend of mine who is inclined to being a massive hippy says she treats hers as a monthly vision quest. My limited understanding is that a vision quest is generally a period of a few days where you go off alone and put yourself through a degree of physical stress (hunger, cold) and examine your spiritual or emotional response to those stressors. She believes any emotions which come up as a result of pmt are clarifying and reveal her inner thoughts - angers, resentments which need addressing that month.

I am not alternative in the slightest so her approach is a bit out there but I do like the notion of respecting one's feelings and listening to what is being brought up when you feel hormonal rather than being mocked for your behaviour/moods.

I do struggle though. When I'm off the pill my pmt is quite bad and I do share your concerns op.

When we are talking about equality we should not pretend that there is a neutral position because the “neutral” is always male. It can be no clearer then when we talk about healthcare and issues to do with the body. We should not be contrasting women’s bodies against a mythical neutral. Men and women have different bodies and as a result we have different responses that all fall in the realm of “normal”. I would expect most women at sometime over their lifetime to have issues with PMT, therefore I would consider it something to take into account and not to pretend it doesn’t exist or women are weak or lesser than for experiencing it.

How do you, as a feminist, accept your biology without buying into the bullshit that women are emotionally unstable (and therefore historically disadvantaged and dismissed)

I don't date men, I don't marry them. I don't have a single man in my life. I only open myself to women. Periods are painful for me, but there's no man around to dismiss me. I don't put up with it.

I was never aware of having PMT (just horrible dysmenorrhea at times) so I've been lucky enough never to have to deal with this in earnest... DH once started to make some jokey comment about women being hormonal which I cut right off with 'well, at least we're not hormonal all the time like men with their testosterone (etc etc )' ... he had the grace to take my point.

He's being an arse. I actually am emotionally unregulated when I have PMT. And actually I accept it must be hard for DH to live with. But he would never be derogatory towards me about it

Yes, it's fascinating, isn't it? I go through a now fairly unpredictable but time limited period where I am like Pennywise on acid, and it's a thing to mock or belittle.

He has temper tantrums throughout the month because he's lost his stuff, or the dog crapped where it shouldn't have after he's had a long day, or whatever, and he's just a normal bloke reacting to irritations and we have to 'give him space'.

I know exactly what you mean.

Raging, I hear you too! DP knows better than to do his old trick of quoting Gene Hunt 'Got the decorators in, luv?' because he's got a number of menstruating women in the house now, and we are all extremely forthright.

Yeah mate, so bloody hilarious to take the piss, innit? No, I won't tell you where your keys or wallet are. How dya like them apples, Mr comedian?

It sounds more like you have a "D"P problem, rather than a hormonal one.

Floral

Well, self-help language may be cringey but it always sometimes saves on syllables by articulating something well.

He sounds a bit of a dick tbh.

As a feminist, I deal with PMT by coming onto FWR and using verbal pyrotechnics that usually induce me to go to Confession at a later date. You could probably chart my cycle from some of my more colourful outbursts here, but it wouldn't get you very far because I'm peri menopausal and the fucking bastard comes whenever the fuck it wants to.