I distinctly remember my first period cramp. It was very much a “Wait, what the hell is this?” moment. For example, “WTF, this is terrible” and “WTF, this has been happening every month for decades?” and “WTF, why don’t we talk about it this way? Way More?
Menstrual cramps are just one example of all the BS that many women have to deal with on a daily basis. Sometimes, when things happen every day, we can become numb to how annoying/upsetting/angry they really are.
“What is the harsh reality that you have to accept as a woman?” one Reddit user asked in the popular subreddit r/AskReddit. The question sparked a discussion about things that we as women have to deal with almost every day. .
Of course, periods are high on that list.
“The worst part is that you have to keep a straight face and act like you’re totally fine while simultaneously feeling like your ovaries have been stabbed. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve taken public transportation with excruciating menstrual pain, and when I When I really want to cry, I have a blank look on my face. I’ve said it before, but women are strong,” one user said.
Isn’t it crazy to think that so many of us struggle with tears every month? Is this our reality? Like, what!
Minimizing women’s physical pain was a common theme in user responses. Users shared experiences of not being taken seriously by healthcare providers.
“Everything is anxiety,” one user said. “If you’ve researched your symptoms/tests extensively to ask, ‘You need to get off the internet and let a professional handle this.’ If you give any context for your symptoms or why you did something (e.g. stop taking medication), Then you are talking too much, which is also anxiety.
Another often overlooked health concern: pregnancy. Users lament that when you literally A whole person has grown inside you!
One user pointed out that women are criticized for not wanting to get pregnant, despite the fact that it is a seriously life-changing decision.
“People always think it’s vanity because of weight gain, stretch marks, etc. But your bones, organs, and tissues can be permanently changed, sometimes leading to chronic disease or disability,” she writes.
Reddit users also came up with a depressingly long list of double standards that women have to face.
“I’ve learned that speaking out can still be seen as too aggressive in some situations, even if I’m just stating facts,” one user said.
“Or worse – too emotional,” another replied.
Another said: “Yes, men are ‘confident’ when speaking and women are ‘difficult’ and ‘bitchy’.”
Another frustrated user added, “You’re always going to be sexualized\objectified one way or another.”
Another replied: “Until you are old and then you become invisible.”
Yes, we can’t win.
The women listed one harsh reality after another, from imposter syndrome to fears of harassment and assault to the frustration, fear and anger that their daughters had to go through the same thing. Of course, there’s no shortage of trolls trying to disprove every point.
One user pointed out that the post seemed to be a microcosm of a larger problem, writing: “We can’t even talk about ourselves online after being specifically asked about it without some men bringing their experiences into conversation. women’s experience. And then when you point it out, they argue and downvote you.
Too bad. Indeed! We should all say more.
I think this thread is a great place to start. Yes, it’s complaining – and for good reason! Acknowledging the “brutal realities” we all face can help move the conversation forward until they are no longer reality.
