Many women accept PMS as an unwelcome side effect of their period each month, but one female academic claims the condition doesn’t even exist.
American health psychologist Robyn Stein DeLuca appeared on Good Morning Britain on Friday to argue that pre-menstrual syndrome (or PMT, pre-menstrual tension) is actually all in women’s heads, and treating it as a medical condition suggests they are all ‘hormonal maniacs’.
DeLuca argues that normal life stages are being treated as sicknesses, and that while the physical side-effects of periods such as cramps can cause women real problems, emotional swings that are often attributed to PMS are just normal reactions to their environment – and not a medical condition.
But many female viewers were infuriated by her remarks, with many arguing that she simply hadn’t personally suffered the symptoms and calling her an ‘idiot’.
American health psychologist Robyn Stein DeLuca said that premenstrual tension (PMT) is actually a myth
DeLuca’s opponent in the TV debate, author Helen Croydon, said the academic was on ‘dangerous territory’ in suggesting PMS was a myth, but DeLuca argued that accepting it as part and parcel of having periods does women no favours.
She pointed to post-natal depression, which she said is caused by women not having the right support around them, and not hormonal changes.
DeLuca said: ‘I don’t want to invalidate women’s feelings about what they’re experiencing, but this idea that they’re hormonal maniacs really works against them.
‘When we see postpartum depression for example most people assume that’s because of hormones, it’s not. Research shows, study after study, that things like your relationship with your partner, what kind of support you have [while] taking care of the new baby – all of that is more important in predicting whether you become depressed.’
Viewers were furious with DeLuca’s comments, and argued that they know PMT is real because they suffer from it
Viewers were shocked by DeLuca’s claims, with many taking to Twitter to argue that PMS is a very real problem for them.
One called her an ‘idiot woman’, while another said she was making her ‘so mad’.
Joining DeLuca on the GMB sofa on Friday was author Helen Croydon, who said the psychologist was on ‘dangerous territory’.
Croydon said: ‘It is definitely real. I know that every single woman that I know says it’s real. I wouldn’t get to the point of being debilitated but I definitely get symptoms every month.
Author Helen Croydon said DeLuca was on ‘dangerous territory’ by claiming that women don’t suffer PMT
‘I think we all agree it’s an issue… I think you are on very dangerous territory by going as far to say it’s a myth.’
Croydon also pointed out that as a female academic arguing this point, she would give men ‘ammunition’ to say PMT isn’t real.
She said: ‘By going down this route and saying it’s all in your head and not debilitating you’re really putting these women down. You’re giving men ammunition to say it’s all their heads.
‘We should be talking about it more, not less. We should have more understanding in the subtle differences in women’s cycles.’