‘PMS DOESN’T EXIST? WHAT UTTER RUBBISH!’ HEALTH BOOSTER!

A psychologist has claimed PMS is just an excuse women use because they can’t manage their busy lives – Dr C is seething These chewable Rennie Heartburn, Indigestion & Wind Relief (£4.59, Boots) tabs tackle the top three digestive problems – handy after w

female A psychologist has claimed that PMS is a myth. She said, “We internalise this idea that our bodies must be faulty. It’s more likely that women feel overwhelmed.” She’s even gone as far as to say that PMS is like using a get-out-of-jail-free card. How unbelievably patronising!

HORMONAL CHANGES

Around 90 per cent of women experience symptoms of PMS (things like bloating, breast pain, mood swings, irritability), and some can really suffer. My own mother did, and she wasn’t internalising not being able to cope! The NHS recognises it, plus one of the basic principles of science is that you prove something by showing a plausible pathway through which it might happen. With PMS that’s hormonal changes, and what those hormones do. It’s further confirmed by the fact that PMS symptoms improve during pregnancy and after menopause, when hormones stabilise.

She says that “junk science, gender politics and lies about PMS keep women down.” While I agree that there’s a lot of “junk science”, her argument seems to be that women are these poor, stupid, gullible creatures who are imagining symptoms – and that’s outrageous. We don’t know why some women suffer more than others, but that doesn’t mean it’s a myth.

LIFESTYLE MATTERS

If you’re very stressed, that can make symptoms worse, because pain is impacted by your state of mind; if you’re happy and relaxed, you can deal with pain better than if you’re stressed and miserable. Lifestyle plays a part, but it doesn’t create the problem. Also, most health problems have a physiological and social context, PMS isn’t alone in that.

As far as gender politics go, there is less research into women’s health compared to men’s. For example: there have been five times as many studies into erectile dysfunction as into PMS. This book is complaining about the influence of gender politics, but it’s only making it worse.

MISSED DIAGNOSES

Given that we’ve got a problem with women grinning and bearing things, and being told it’s just “women’s problems”, saying PMS is all in their heads is only adding to that. It could even lead to missed diagnoses for serious things, like ovarian cancer and depression. PMS is real, and your doctor can help by prescribing particular painkillers, contraceptives or hormonal medication, along with advice about lifestyle and diet.