Premenstrual Disorders

PMS Symptoms Begin at Different Times for Different Women

reacted to those things outside herself. She understood at last that she could choose to stay away from bad decisions. The night she got caught drinking on campus became a turning point for Kendra. She no longer takes an antidepressant but is able to use the lifestyle changes she learned from her counselor to con- trol her PMS anger and deal with the pressures of school, an intern- ship, and her relationships with friends and family. Women, more than men, tend to feel they are responsible for what goes on around them. As little girls, women are often trained that their job is to make others feel good, to be giving and nurturing so that everyone around them has whatever they need. As a result, women sometimes don’t ask for help, because they look at them- selves as being the helpers, especially in their role with children. Here are some of the life experiences that may coincide with the onset of PMS: • The first menstrual cycle • Terminating birth control pills • Childbirth • Pregnancy complicated by toxemia (poisonous substance in the blood) • Miscarriage or abortion • Trauma (death in the family, chronic disease, accident) • Perimenopause (nearing menopause but still having a pe- riod)

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Case Studies