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DeFining Premenstrual Syndrome
23 •
Premenstrual disorders may make it
hard for friends to get along.
If a woman has PMDD, these symp-
toms will be so severe that they inter-
fere with work, school, usual social
activities, and her relationships with
others. Many times grade scores are
lower at this time; a woman who normally completes her work eas-
ily will have trouble concentrating on the task.
Another criterion for PMDD is that it cannot be merely an in-
crease in severity of another disorder’s symptoms (such as a mood
disorder, panic disorder, or a personality disorder). PMDD may trig-
ger a panic attack or some other symptom of another disorder, but
its symptoms must be charted for at least two menstrual cycles, so
that the symptoms can be seen to cluster around menstruation.
Although the monthly hormone cycle causes its own problems,
thesechangeshavebeenknownto induceattacksof chronicproblems
to women suffering from
epilepsy
, connective tissue diseases (such
epilepsy
: Any of vari-
ous disorders char-
acterized by a distur-
bance of the electrical
rhythm of the central
nervous system, fre-
quently manifested by
convulsions.