PMS and the implications for counselors

Includes bibliographical references (pages 45-46)Premenstrual Syndrome is a relatively new topic for\ud research although it can be assumed the condition has\ud existed since the beginning of human life on earth. Many\ud agree it is an idea whose time has come. This paper is an\ud attempt to contribute to the knowledge and understanding of\ud a subject often considered beyond comprehension. Chapter 1 explains the reasons for a paper on PMS. Chapter 2 delineates the psychological, somatic, and behavioral\ud symptoms. Research on the hormone imbalance theory\ud is cited and the role of the female hormone progesterone\ud is explored. Credit for research in the field is given,\ud most notably, to British physician, Dr. Katharina Dalton. Because it was not considered a viable illness until recent years, there is little historical data on PMS.\ud Assuming a relationship to attitudes about menstruation,\ud Chapter 3 presents early cultural, societal, and religious\ud dispositions on the subject. It is apparent menstruation\ud and the females experiencing it were viewed negatively.\ud Chapter 4 deals with current attitudes regarding PMS. American\ud businesses lose billions of dollars a year due to\ud alcoholism and premenstrual syndrome, yet only treatment\ud for alcoholic employees has engendered the interest of\ud employers. PMS has been used successfully, in England, as\ud a defense for felonious homocide; as of 1983, however, it\ud had not been attempted in the United States; as a defense,\ud it does not have the support of many women who experience\ud the symptoms. It has been unfavorably alluded to in popular\ud literature, often by males who have little knowledge\ud and understanding of the disease. This attitude is frequently\ud reflected in the male-dominated medical profession\ud as well. Fortunately, help is available for PMS sufferers. It\ud can be treated naturally, through holistic methods, and/or\ud hormonally depending on the severity of the symptoms.\ud Treatment approaches are discussed in Chapter 5. Chapter 6\ud describes the case histories of women whose symptoms were\ud severe enough to damage significant relationships, but who\ud were able to find help. Because so much of what constitutes PMS is cal, the last chapter deals with the implications for\ud mental health professionals. Is a female client more depressed\ud or suicidal around that time of the month? In\ud domestic violence and child abuse cases, is the client less\ud able to cope with her anger during the two week period\ud between ovulation and day one of her menstrual cycle, and\ud are PMS symptoms producing problems at home or at work