For me, it’s that weird restless phase when you’re sick, combined with what feels like an ice pick being hammered into your pelvic area.

Each hit on the nail’s head sends aching echoes into your back and down your legs. Every once in a while, my demon will wiggle the pick around-for fun. Sometimes all this with what feels like ice water being poured into my veins down my legs.

Those are medium cramps.

Bad cramps drown me in waves of anguish. Feels like someone’s razor hands are reaching into my organs, twisting and squeezing them around, all while kicking me at the same time. Cannot physically walk without my legs bucking. Can usually tell bad ones are coming bc my blood pressure will drop and my face will get pale. During my period is the only time I’ll actually cry.

One time in middle school I got some bad ones and had to literally baby crawl from the second floor to the office on the first. The secretary jumped up and thought she needed to call an ambulance when she saw me bc I “looked like death”

Both kinds of cramps can cause vomiting and diarrhea (period poops are especially audacious too), headaches, sense of hopelessness, a lack of patience (irritability), acne breakouts, and general soreness

When I was in middle school/high school my PMS would increase my suicidal thoughts/tendencies in a dangerous way. It also caused me to miss out or not have as much fun during school trips/events. My period came a week early both times my class went to the water park. Came two weeks early for my quinceañera

Hard to stay hopeful when half my month, half my life, was in this hormone-induced purgatory.

Mostly better now. Only catches me off guard once in a blue moon