The Moody Blues Essay, Research Paper

The Moody Blues

Have you ever stayed up all night long, and then gone to school the next day? How about when nothing seems to go your way, and everything in your life is a quarter of an inch off? That grumpy, punchy, headachy feeling is very much like PMS; or at least some symptoms of PMS, for PMS can take many forms and shapes.

Most people know what PMS is and they kid around with it, thinking it is a joke; just a phase women seem to go through. However, when the woman in their lives expresses some symptoms of it, she is labeled as ill tempered, complaining, and grouchy. Are these women getting what they deserve, or are they deprived of the right they have of being treated with care during PMS?

PMS stands for Premenstrual Syndrome, and it involves a variety of symptoms both physical and emotional. PMS refers to the time of the month that the symptoms appear, before a woman s period begins. These symptoms, along with the ones mentioned above, consist of cravings of certain types of food or alcohol, migraine headaches, pimples or greasy skin, sore breasts, exhaustion, mood swings, changes in vision, lost of emotional control when dealing with others, and more. Over 150 symptoms have been associated with PMS. In some cases, women who suffer from PMS are unable to maintain jobs or relationships because of cyclical anger or similar symptoms. Some cases, PMS may be so severe that it causes suicidal and homicidal feelings, which may be acted upon.

No one knows the precise cause of PMS, although many theories exist. Some doctors say that PMS is caused by the body s inability to properly metabolize fatty acids which alters normal cellular functions. Poor nutrition, low blood sugar, and hypothalamus have all been linked to PMS. The most common known cause of PMS is the hormonal change. PMS disturbs the delicate balance of a woman s body with monthly regularity.

All women go through this monthly time of physical and psychological instability. After all they need to go through, do they need to be ridiculed and ignored because of above-mentioned symptoms?

Some might say that women go through PMS and drag whomever they are living with or associating with along with them. They might argue that women should tackle whatever they are going though by themselves. Also, another claim that they might have is that women blame every nasty mood on PMS in thought of justifying themselves. Because of the symptoms that these women go through and their influence on others around her, especially her relationship partner, some may reason that PMS can create some serious tension in relationships.

All of these arguments are valid, and there are cases of where these situations have occurred. It is true that many of the symptoms of PMS can cause friction in a relationship, making it uncomfortable and unpleasant for the person involved. It is also true that some women use PMS as an excuse for just being in a bad mood. These are instances that take place in real life, and probably more than once making them legitimate.

However, just because these occurrences of pain and discomfort real life does not mean that women should be treated with less care than she requires during this time of insecurity and vulnerability. When a person is diagnosed with a disease, do the people around him/her complain when the patient is causing them discomfort? Do they complain that their relationship may have some strain or may be on hold? Do the friends and family of the patient neglect the patient saying that it s just his/her problem? Just because PMS occurs regularly to many women on a monthly bases, it does not mean that the patients of this problem should be treated with less care and understanding than a cancer or pneumonia patient.

The seriousness of PMS, seen in the symptoms seen above, is not well known even among women, let alone the men. However, many medical facilities define PMS as a problem, and are looking for a way to cure it. PMS is still taken as a joke, especially among men, and this lack of recognition has led to misdiagnosis and mistreatment of various PMS symptoms.

PMS should be taken seriously and the patients of this problem should be treated with sensitive care and understanding. These are the rights of women who suffer monthly just as a disease patient has the right to medical attention. Although the experience of specific symptoms may vary, PMS affect the thoughts, feelings, and actions of those who suffer from it. Studies and surveys show that 10% of women have symptoms so sever that they cannot function regularly. The friends and family, especially a partner, gaining the knowledge of the health needs of that woman and showing love and care can help reduce tensions that are caused by PMS. With that, her well being, calmness, and sense of control will benefit her loved ones as well as herself. In other words, showing a little bit of understanding, care, and love will profit not only the patient, but the visitors as well.

Some might objection to these points saying that cancer patients do not pick fights with their partners once a month putting a risk on their relationship. They might say that the women are not just the victims of PMS, but also the millions of loved ones that suffer its effects in their personal lives.

As mentioned before, the truth is that PMS can create problems and discomfort in a relationship. However, it is not just the women that seem distant and uncaring at this point. Men tend to avoid the issue by withdrawing and becoming angry themselves, which is the opposite of what most women crave at this stage. .When a woman is upset and angry and there s a hormonal component, she usually wants reassurance and comfort. Little things feel like big things, so she wants her partner to draw closer to her, x says Patricia Pasick, a psychologist at the Ann Arbor Center for the Family. It is true that the symptoms of PMS cause tension in relationships, but when the symptoms cannot be fixed, it is the responsibility of the people involved, both the woman and the man, to understand each other.

.Man is born to suffer, but woman is born to suffer more. x

The pains of a woman does not end with PMS, it goes on to menstruation, and eventually, pregnancy and labor. PMS is just the beginning of the suffering of the woman body. Women have to go through these sufferings each month or every time she is to give birth to a human being.

During the menstruation of a woman, the whole lining of the uterus sheds. After it sheds, it has to pass through the cervix so it can leave the body. The uterus contracts (squeezes) to do this, pushing the menstrual fluid out. When these contractions become painful it is called cramps. This cramping might be just tiny aches and twinges in her lower belly, or like a big hand in her belly, squeezing hard, and she might feel shooting pains that go up the insides of her thighs and down her lower back. In some cases, this cramping is also associated with diarrhea.

The pain of birth labor is more commonly known. One quote says it best, .It is like trying to squeeze something the size of a watermelon though a hole the size of a coin. x The basic source of the pain in labor is the action taking place in the cervix. The uterus is supplied with sensory nerves that can only register stretching and tearing.

The sufferings of a woman just begin with PMS and this beginning should be treated with the utmost tending and nurture. When the partner is aware of the changes that happens with the woman s body and how to treat the woman through these changes starting with PMS, then when it comes for them to have a child, then the partner will be aware of how to treat and take care of the woman in need.

Some might argue with this point and say that menstruation and birth labor has nothing to do with the pains of PMS, so one cannot compare the treatment of PMS to the treatment of the other two. However, the symptoms of PMS are very much similar to the symptoms of pregnancy, and PMS and menstruation inter-exist. Some women, when experiencing PMS mistake the indication PMS for the symptoms of pregnancy because the two have some of the same symptoms, such as emotional instability, sore breasts, change in behavior, and cravings of certain food. This is the reason for the statement that if a partner knew the changes and the treatment to these changes in a woman s body while she is going through PMS, then he would pretty much know how to treat her again during her pregnancy. Same with the menstruation cycle; PMS runs into the days of menstruation, and sometimes menstruation runs with PMS for a couple of days. The love, care, and understanding that woman crave during PMS continues onto the days of menstruation and cramping. The woman has the right to be treated with these needs, not only while she is going though PMS, but through the further pains of menstruation, pregnancy, and labor.

One point is made clear and emphasized throughout this paper; women need to be treated with care, love, and understanding through the monthly cycle of Premenstrual Syndrome. They need to be, they have the right to be. PMS is a serious problem in the health of a woman, and it is the devoted duty and responsibility of the loved ones to treat the patient with the proper therapy that she needs and craves.