There is no clear evidence that women get more moody in the pre-menstrual phase of their cycles, researchers report. The team analyzed 41 research studies that tracked women’s daily moods through their menstrual cycles. Their findings—which showed no clear evidence that pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) exists—are published online now in the journal Gender Medicine. “There is so much cultural baggage around women’s menstrual cycles, and entire industries built around the idea that women are moody, irrational—even unstable—in the phase leading up to menstruation,” says Gillian Einstein, associate professor of psychology and public health at the University of Toronto.
I dunno if my N-Value is the same as theirs, but I must say the data I have is significant and opposite of theirs. Sure I’ve known a few ladies who really don’t experience much pre Crimson Tide, but I’ve met more than a few who are just the opposite.
Still what say you? (and Female Readers, definetly this is a mandatory chime-in for you…what do you think about this study result?)
Still I was very interested in this being a blinded study (ie the women did not know it had anything to do with their menstrual cycle), is it real, or is it cultural?
The AMA can’t afford to acknowledge the existence of anything it can’t pin down precisely; that doesn’t mean such conditions don’t exist. The issue seems to be in the definition of PMS. Every human’s emotions vary according to hormones, including very subtle hormonal shifts, and women’s hormones fluctuate throughout their cycles. They can call it what they like, or not, but it’s real.
As a person who is relatively “unemotional” and very analytical, I can assure you that I often feel flashes of anger that are totally unrelated to influences outside my body. I’m not stewing, I’m not worrying, I’m not calling up bad memories; I just feel angry for no reason. Before the Big M, I could track it to the day, almost to the hour. These days it’s more random (and rare, thank God) as is “everything else.”
Imagine that and add a few irritants from a bad day, then duck and cover.
I’m so glad you commented!
The thing I fall back on is I CAN pin down the differences in the female blood chemistry in different stages of the menstrual cycle. Female fertility is a BIG DEAL! I can’t blame them for having a bit of a roller-coaster ride emotionally for it. Fold that to a factor of 100 if said woman is actually carrying a child to term!
But yeah everybody is different from the word “Go”. I know people (male or female) that remind me of somebody suffering from severe classical PMS all the time. Meanwhile there are people who are generally level headed. Hell I know people who turn into mushy fools when they get a few drinks in them, and people who turn into violent animals.
To quantify that within just a population of 40 test subjects seems a bit optimistic!
Oh, so real. I used to get so tense that just clothes against my skin were irritating.
Oh its real. Cramps and general miserable-ness that can turn into snapping and lost temper in a heartbeat. Horomonal birth control can help, some variations help quite a bit, but its defiently real.
But some folks have been insisting that its not real for ever. I had a female teacher in college tell me that it was all crock and marketing and we should stop giving in to it.
to be fair, cramps are a menstrual event, not a PRE-Menstrual event
I used to get terribly depressed around my birthday, and it made me miserable. Then I realized I was, more often than not, down or depressed on the second week (on average) of every month. That was when I finally figured out my depression was due more to hormonal changes rather than “oh God, I’m a year older and have done nothing with my life.”
Birthdays are still hard, but it’s easier to deal with the depression when I know it’s a hormonal thing and that I will feel better once I can ride it out.
Definitely CRANKY both before and during my period. Ugh.
But that’s no excuse to be a bitch!
Nope, not an excuse at all.
Works for everybody. I’ve been as guilty as the next guy for being a jerk to somebody simply because I’ve been having a shitty day, or I’m overly hungry or tired.
I think the solution for PMS problems is self-awareness. I know that if its a few hours past my normal lunch, or the day has been going bad, or I feel like crap in general I need to be VERY careful when I react to somebody.
Same can be said when those magic days on the calender show up…
Suz, there’s all sorts of games played with the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). The AMA is quite happy to acknowledge all sorts of things that they can’t pin down precisely. Just not things that are politically incorrect.
I’m with you Weer’d, my data doesn’t match theirs. A particular someone has a magic ability to push my buttons around that time of the month. She doesn’t even realize it. I told her to just start marking on a calendar when I tell her… There’s something in common about when it happens, once a month….
LOL same here. I can predict things much easier than she can.
I wonder how the results would differ if they asked the women’s partners about mood instead…
Reading the two sentences the article provides on methodology appears to show they googled a bunch of studies, then threw a handful of opposing studies out because it didn’t match their viewpoint, citing flaws in methodology… smells like cherry-picking.
During my (long since concluded) studies involving this matter, I can appreciate that I must have been blessed. I have never had an intimate partner display any obvious, negative emotional reactions to the cycle.
On the other hand, if you bring it up as an accusation, jokingly, the percentages become far more disparate. (it’s still funny as hell though)