Getting Cranky About Getting Crampy

(My friend has suffered from IBS since she was a child. She has had to put up with people accusing her of putting on or of being anorexic for years. As such, I was a little surprised by some of her notions.)

Friend: *seeing me rubbing my stomach* “You have a stomach ache?”

Me: “Just cramping a bit today.”

Friend: “You know cramps are psychological, right?”

Me: “What? No, they aren’t.”

Friend: “Yes they are. It’s societal conditioning. Women are convinced they should be cramping when they start their periods.”

Me: “Then why did it take me two years to start cramping, and how have I psychologically convinced myself to get so sick I throw up every month?”

Friend: “Well, I’m just tired of women using cramps as an excuse not to do things or to get sympathy.”

(This was what she had heard about her medical condition her whole life!)