Unfortunately, every teenage girl and every woman has to go through her special time of the month, and that’s when her life becomes a living hell. Some have it better than others, while some have a hard time getting themselves out of bed in the morning. And the worst part about it all? It’s completely normal and there’s nothing that we women can do to avoid it, though we can find ways to make it more bearable. Here is a list of some of the worst problems that women face when they go on their period every month.

PMS.

This could arguably be the worst part about getting your period. When you are PMSing (for those that don’t know, that’s premenstrual syndrome which usually occurs anywhere from a few days to a week or more before a woman’s period) your hormones are on overdrive. You begin to eat EVERYTHING in sight. You will cry uncontrollably about dropping a spoon on the floor and may become extremely fatigued. You may even become a little bit grouchy . . . or a lot grouchy. Either way, PMS-ing is never a fun time.

The pain.

Ah yes, the pain. There is so much pain that comes with one’s period. Some women experience immobilizing pain for days on end until they start, and often times even a few days after they start. I’ve heard of women experiencing back pain, thigh pain, stomach cramps, achy joints, literally any body pain you could think of...and yes, it hurts. A lot. Sometimes women can’t push through it. I remember having to come home from school some days because the pain was overbearing. It sucks.

Especially the cramps.

Cramps may very well be the worst part about getting your period. It feels as though your insides are coming out of you and that you’re going to die, and that’s kind of what’s happening anyway. Well, you’re not going to die, but a layer of a woman’s uterine lining is shedding with some blood and coming out of her vagina each time she has her period. Sound gross? Trust me, it’s not very pleasant to live with.

Actually starting your period.

Even though we have apps and calendars to remind us of when we are going to be starting our periods, it isn’t always exact. A woman’s cycle can change here and there depending on her environment and the factors happening in her life, so sometimes we might catch our period a day or two early and be unprepared (which isn’t exactly ideal...unprepared can lead to a mess if we aren't careful). Not to mention the amount of blood a woman loses each time she has her period, which ranges anywhere from 30 milliliters to 80 or more milliliters each cycle.

The overly emotional wreck that you become.

Many women’s emotions while on their periods are unbelievably amplified due to their hormones having such a party. It’s tough to deal with, as I deal with it every month, but the best advice I can give is to just let the people that you love and can trust know that if you’re lashing out at them it’s for this reason. That way they (hopefully) won’t take anything personally; it helps for me. And try and take some medicine to help reduce the outbursts - that also helps.

People constantly asking if you’re on your period.

There is a 99.99% chance that a woman will receive the following, patronizing question at least once in her lifetime, even if she isn’t on her period: “Jeez what are you on your period or something?” The amount of times I’ve heard this question said to me in a not-so-concerned way is absurd; it’s as though women are not allowed to be emotional and upset unless we are on our periods, which is unacceptable. There are a lot of people out there that do ask out of concern, but that’s few and far between. Be careful about your words.

Syncing up with other girls around you.

Though this is believed to be a myth, there are many instances where women that are living together or are with each other on a daily basis may sync up their periods together. Maybe it’s a crazy coincidence, but it can mess you up nonetheless.

Not having any Pamprin or Midol when you need it most.

If you’re one for taking some medicine to help relieve some of the symptoms that come along with your period like me, then this is the absolute worst thing that can happen. Not only do you not have any to prep yourself for when you’re about to start so that when you do it isn’t as bad, but you don’t have any to take when you actually start your period, which is excruciating. Make sure you have at least two dosages after you finish your period, that way you’ll have them for the next time around.

Better yet, not having any pads or tampons when you need them most.

I take it back, this is the worst thing that could happen to you when you’re on your period. You wake up in the morning to have started your period and - GASP! - there are no pads or tampons. Maybe you can get lucky and find an old one in your purse or backpack that you can live off of until you can get to the store to buy some more, but if you don’t, that’s a pretty rough start to your morning...as if it wasn’t bad enough already.

Just having to get yourself through it…

I know it’s hard and all we want to do is lie in bed all day long, but we can’t stop everything we’re doing just because we got our period. Yes, I believe that we should be able to call out sick from work if we are curled up on the bathroom floor and sobbing from the amount of pain we are in. I believe we should be treated better about dealing with our periods; I think society needs to take a good look in the mirror and understand just exactly what it is women go through each month and be a little more sympathetic. But, that being said, getting ourselves through the pain will make us feel that much better in the end knowing we can get ourselves through it.

...and then having to deal with it again in another month.

Overall, getting your period is just the way life goes. You can’t avoid it, and to be honest, if you aren’t getting your period on a regular basis you should consult your doctor. Even though that is a luxury not to be having your period every month, something could seriously be wrong that shouldn’t be treated lightly. Keep yourselves healthy and stay as strong as we all know that we are.