PMS and work

[cichlid]

I started my period the other day...Wednesday. I have been under a lot of stress at work and a senior co-worker pulled me aside since he was concerned. I'm in a very difficult 6-9 month training process. I am thrown into a project where I have to interact with many different people. I'm fresh out of college on top of it. Anyway, it happened to be the first day of my period and when I was pulled into the office, I started tearing up due to PMS. It was embarrassing! I wanted to tell the guy that it was because he caught me at the wrong time of the month but I didn't want to make things any more awkward.

 

One, will getting on birth control help the hormones? I don't get cramps, mad, etc...I am just so prone to crying if placed in situations like that. Ugh...so embarrassed over it and now the co-worker is worried about my sanity. Ha! I almost feel like catching him one morning and apologizing since he picked the worst day of the month and almost making a joke about it so he stops giving me these "I'm watching you closely" looks. So...embarrassed and I don't want my hormones to mess with my work life anymore so I need something to fix this.

[waveseer]

I am having trouble monthly with my emotional stability and my doctor prescribed the mini pill. So, twenty seven years later I am back on the pill! I can't take the one's with estrogen in them since I have a pre-existing hormone condition, but I start in two days so I'll let you know if it helps in about three and a half weeks.

[jenny_mcs]

being on hormonal birth control made my previously stable emotions unstable, so it definitely isn't a cure-all. Schedule an appointment with your gyno and go over your symptoms and all the options that are available now- she can help guide you towards something appropriate.

 

Also- and I mean this very sincerely-- do NOT, under any circumstance, try to bring up "your time of the month" as an excuse for anything at work. It is completely inappropriate. It is much better to be thought of as the new employee who got overwhelmed and teared up one time than the crazy girl who talks about her period in the workplace.

[Purusha]

Personally, I would bring it up if I felt that I could - but then inappropriatness doesn't bother me very much! It's your period, that's life! Ideally in the work place, periods wouldn't exist, but that is never going to be a reality (more's the pity)!

 

Making a joke out of it, to me, would lighten the atmosphere about it rather than make it more awkward, but it depends also on the person that you're talking to and whether you're comfortable with them.

[cichlid]

I'm definitely going to look into something with my gyno.

 

I probably won't mention it unless asked about it.