A ? for the ladies...

It doesn't affect my anxiety, and I'm not depressed (give my therapists more time to achieve that, though ). But I would know when the thing was coming because a few days beforehand I would get all emotional. It only lasted half a day, but when I find myself weeping at a Budweiser commercial (the horse and his trainer one), something's up.

I don't currently experience periods because of the medication I'm on. Can't say I miss them.

Having been through a lot of fertility treatment, both myself and watching a friend do it, I have seen the daily blood tests and change in hormones so I find it hard to believe there is no evidence of these fluctuations and that some smartypants scientist would think hormone changes wouldn't affect a person.

Maybe they should study Clomid, a drug that replicates ovulation and can cause awful mood swings if they think hormones have no affect. I agree it shouldn't be used to dismiss women as if they are so feeble they cannot control themselves but people also do it to teenagers and their hormones even though a lot of mental illness begins in teen years and most disorders present before age 24.

Why wouldn't hormone fluctuations have the potential to alter emotional or mental health symptoms? They have the potential to alter almost everything else in the body. I think to dismiss PMDD completely is to not realize the profound connection mind and body can have. Especially considering anxiety in particular can have very real physical symptoms.

There is nothing sexist about acknowledging a potential link between mood and hormones. It IS on the other hand sexist to write off someone entirely for said hormones.

Hormones affect a males' personality and temperament too, so there is nothing sexist about it. Men with higher levels of testosterone tend to be more aggressive, have higher libidos. Men with testosterone deficiencies may have symptoms of fatigue and depression.

Most definitely, but what we found is that my swings occur, oddly enough, like clockwork, about 3 days after the end of my period. Kind of atypical, but I can set my clock by it: an increase in depression, stress level, anxiety. It is fortunately short-lived, but I always have to remind myself that this too shall pass. It always does.

i have increased depression and anxiety during pms. my T is male and i have talked to him about it. he didnt act uncomfortable at all.

You know it's true that talk of PMS, "hysteria," and menopause has been used to discredit women and I agree that a healthy dose of skepticism is warranted, that the DSM has been used in extremely oppressive ways and mental health diagnosis can be tricky and fluid.

But just as there is a misogynist way to discuss and understand these things, there is also a feminist way to talk about them. The misogynist way might include notions about women being irrational, at the mercy of ther hormones, unsuitable for public office, any number of uses for the b-word etc. The feminist way might include the notion that women's lived experiences are important, that women are authorities on what happens with/in our own bodies, that women's mental health matters and merits research, that when women are curt or angry or impassioned it is not at all okay to dismiss it as "*****iness."

See where I'm going? There is a middle ground between the two camps that are arguing in this thread. The fact that the history of psychiatry is fraught with sexism, crap science and paternalism is problematic, but it doesn't discount the existence of mental illness IMHO and it doesn't mean it has to stay that way forever.

Half the population of this planet has had or will have a period. Most guys have women in their lives (as friends, family, or S.O.). Why should we be ashamed to talk about our periods with men? It just means we're female in our reproductive phase of life. If a guy is uncomfortable talking about periods, that's his issue. And if male Ts shy away from the topic, then they shouldn't treat women.

I do get moodier around my period. It only lasts a few days. For me it's minor. For others it's more severe. Like some others have posted, maybe it PMDD.

Sounds good to me! I can think of far worse things than being accused of having too much testosterone. ("Did you hear about Daystrom? He's got the biggest case of ball rage I've ever seen!")

It is not my intention to argue with anyone. I do acknowledge the fact that some women use PMS as an excuse to be *****y. I do not agree with that. To me, PMS is a real thing that causes me to feel more anxious and depressed when I am on my period.

I'm all for removing it from the DSM if that's what people take issue with. Discuss it more as an endocrine issue if you like. So long as it's a condition that is considered and recongnized for those who have to deal with it.

Yeah, I don't know why I'm demonized here for my opinion that is backed by science. But it is interesting that opinions on this matter are so emotionally charged. Men by in large commit all of the violent crimes, but there is no DSMV diagnosis for male rage disorder caused by testosterone swings.

I've been brainwashed from childhood by this PMS myth, so it makes a little sense why people are so entrenched. And, I guess human nature is to become even more entrenched in your opinions as evidence stacks up against them.

I don't think and never will think that my depression / anxiety is fundamentally related to my biology as a woman. Nor do I think mood swings are intrinsic to only women or in and of themselves evidence of a mental disorder (short of bipolar, which occurs in both men and women.) most people I talk to don't even seem to realize PMS means pre-menstrual, not being moody during your actual period, but before you even get your period.

I don't think that you're being demonized at all, quite frankly you're sounding quite defensive for others sharing a differing viewpoint.

Nobody ever said YOUR depression had anything to do with hormones. They were talking about their own life experiences. Nobody ever said PMDD was common or only attributed to hormones.

here is another scientific article suggesting that there can be a link between hormones and depression

Reproductive hormone sensitivity and risk for depression across the female life cycle: A continuum of vulnerability?

I'm lucky in that I never notice anything about my period and menstrual cycle asides from the obvious (namely, the bleeding down there). No pain, no moods, no crying spells.

What am I doing?

Why is your science right and mine is wrong? Why does my opinion offend you?

Doesn't. I actually find your science funny in its inability to connect hormones and emotions.

That's because our society glorifies masculine characteristics and the opposite of that for feminine ones. We like strength not weakness. Rational not emotional. If a man gets angry it's good, he's assertive, strong, sure of himself, a leader, a creator. If a woman gets angry she's moody, irrational, overly emotional, a destroyer. The same emotion (anger) and for men it's great and for women it's a mental disorder because our hormones are out of whack.

This thread has gone very off topic and needs to be brought around again please.

The topic is, do any women experience increased emotions/depression/anxiety before their period each month and how do you talk to a male T about the issue?

This thread does not ask for your opinions on whether or not you believe that women have hormonal changes before/during or after their period or that it's scientifically proven or not.

Please keep all conversation respectful on this thread in moving forward.

Thanks very much!

And I think it's funny you are able to draw so many conclusions about me, a person you don't know anything about at all. You must be quite smart, for a woman.

I'm jealous of you, Breadfish!

This is not about sexism, and if you want to continue speaking out against sexism I'm sure there is an appropriate section on the forum to do so (current events, off-topic, some such). If you want to discuss sex bias be sure to discuss the bias against men in custody battles over their children, or that women get slaps on the wrist for statutory rape compared to men. You keep mentioning the word "anger" in this discussion of PMS/PMDD but nobody here has even mentioned anger but you...they are mentioning increases in depression, anxiety, and sentimentality. So this has nothing to do with glorifying men's anger and stamping down women's anger in this discussion.

For me I think it's because I was brought up by my dad and he couldn't deal very well with 'feminine issues' and he would laugh at me (just because he was uncomfortable I think, he wasn't a bad guy) but it left me feeling some degree of shame in talking about it. I'm sure my T's wouldn't have a problem.

Completely understand this. I have a male T and the idea of talking about my junk brings out my inner twelve year old (hence the term "junk"). I feel like no matter how professional a dude is, I always see a flash of his inner twelve year old, like his internal monologue regresses for half a second and there's this gut reaction of "Oh, God. She's gonna talk about her period!" before he recovers himself.

That said, I'm pretty sure this is in my head. T's are professionals; nothing we say should rattle them. If it seems important, bring it up.

At least my posts were about PMS, but now you've digressed into reverse sexism in custody battles?? Lol. If you want to keep speaking out against my posts go for it. I thought the point of asking a question was collecting opinions, not just hearing what you want. If you think PMS is a thing then great, I don't. I would say yeah, talk to your therapist about it by all means!!

Please just stop, Petra5ed. You made your point. Go start your own thread if you have more to say. I'm sure no one else in this thread cares to continue reading your tirades.

I'm kind of interested in this thread, and would hate to see it closed. So maybe we can just stick to the OP's question?