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Premenstrual Disorders
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Dr. Michelle Harrison, an assistant professor of psychiatry at the
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine and author of Self-
Help for Premenstrual Syndrome, did not originally believe that
diet could play a significant role in helping women suffering with
PMS. But when she saw a similarity between the symptoms of
PMS and low blood sugar (hypoglycemia), Dr. Harrison created
a high-carbohydrate diet of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, po-
tatoes, and pasta that also eliminated sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and
artificial sweeteners. The effect this diet had on her patients was
encouraging, giving long sought-after relief.
Psychological Therapy
This is an often overlooked treatment for PMS and PMDD. Some-
times an underlying problem is magnified when a premenstrual
woman begins to feel more agitated and more physically stressed.
One woman describes the feeling this way: “It’s as though there was
a radio always playing at the back of my mind. It’s always there, all
that stuff that gets me so upset, but most of the time I can ignore it.
When I’m premenstrual, though, it’s like the volume’s turned up so
loud that it’s the only thing I can hear.” Getting psychological help
for the underlying problem may help a woman be in better control
of her PMS symptoms.
Counselors offer this type of help. There are many different
types—psychologists, social workers, and priests, ministers, and
even laypeople within the church are often trained to help one see
the truth about situations. They can also help to open up lines of
communication within families. Counselors with an undergraduate
degree in social work have the initials B.S.W.; if they’ve attained a
master’s degree in social work, the letters M.S.W. follow their name.
These counselors have worked under observed settings learning the