By Ms. Menses
PMDD makes everything ten times harder. I know this for a fact. Even simple tasks such as brushing your teeth can feel like climbing a mountain. The days when PMDD isn’t “that bad,” it feels like walking on clouds. Everything is so much easier. People have asked me, “how are you so productive?” Or: “Wow, graduating so early- you must be a genius.” I tell them, no, that I have just learned how to work hard. When they ask how I think about all the hard days that PMDD has given me. Every day is a struggle with this condition. Thus, when I am not struggling to get out of bed, every single task I accomplish is easy comparatively. Everything is a breeze. And when something isn’t a breeze, I just remember the hard PMDD week I just had and I am grateful I am feeling good that week. Working hard is something I’ve had to learn how to do, because half of the month is out. I am struggling during one part of the month, so I have to learn how to balance my work to get things done the rest of the month. I can’t pull all-nighters or cram like most college students, because not getting enough sleep sends me into a deep depression. I have to learn how to manage my workload and get things done so that I am not behind. I have had to learn how to balance self-care with being a busy woman. Eventually, when the rest of the month clears up with my hormone changes, this turns into me doing twice the amount of things I would normally do. When I wake up and see the sunshine, I feel like I can conquer the world. And I know that I can with the opportunities I have been given. I have been given PMDD so that I know how to work hard. We all work twice as hard as individuals without PMDD, so we know what the struggle is like. Everything is so damn easy when you feel like your normal self. PMDD has turned issues such as car trouble into the most minor concerns. I have been able to see what true struggle feels like, so now I know that nothing will ever bring me down. As PMDD Warriors, we have been given superpowers. Our special powers are the ability to see things in perspective. Our power includes the ability to accomplish anything. Because after conquering just one day of PMDD hell, we know that anything is possible. I am unstoppable. Together, we can conquer the world.
About the Warrior
Ms. Menses is a university student who is passionate about menstruation and women’s rights. She has done a TED Talk about menstruation and is currently working on researching the effects of menstruation on girl’s education. She loves to talk about and teach classes about menstruation. She is planning on getting a Master’s in Public Health with a focus on Women’s Reproductive Health issues. She hopes to help make menstruation something people can talk about openly so that girls do not have to suffer.
