Looking for thoughts. Or maybe just venting...
Just some background info before I get where Im trying to go: I (21F) have pretty variable pms symptoms that I think might border on pmdd (currently working on figuring that out...). I get everything from severe mood swings, cramping, migraines, fatigue, panic attacks, anxiety, etc. The symptoms seem to vary by month, where sometimes I'll have almost no symptoms, and other times I'll have all of them. Sometimes, even surprise, new symptoms show up. The one consistent factor that I can always rely on is timing. It's like clockwork (as it should be lol) and always starts about 2 days after ovulation, progressively gets worse until 2-3 days before my period, and then I'm back to normal by day 3.
So, the problem isn't necessarily my cycle. She's annoying sometimes, but at least I can prepare myself and change my habits to accommodate whatever changes happen that month. It's that no matter what I do, this almost always affects my relationship. I've been with my bf (23M) for 3 years, and for 3/4 of the month, we have probably an above average healthy relationship for college age couples. We don't fight, we communicate, we accommodate each other's ridiculously busy schedules, and we still manage to make time to spend time together. The minute luteal phase hits, he can't seem to understand that I'm not in control of what my brain is doing. I can't make more estrogen appear out of thin air. Believe me, I really wish I could. We both work in the sciences (I will have a whole degree in physiology next week) so it's not like he doesn't understand what's happening. I don't know how else to explain that this isn't "mind over matter" or whatever. I can't slap a smile on and suddenly feel amazing. I hate feeling like this too, so I'm not sure why it's so offensive when I say the dog is too overstimulating and I don't really want him to sit and breathe on me lol. My bf is never actually mean, and I'm also probably feeling the negative energy more than I would on any other day, but it gets old.
I'm not here just to rant about this though, I really do want to know if any one else has found a way to get through to their man, because I know this is an experience that many women have. I'm not looking for the "break up with him" answer, that isn't helpful because I really do love my relationship, and this is more of a gripe than anything else and is not truly damaging me or him in any way.
Thanks for any input, or just reading all of this.