Premenstrual Disorders

menopause : The time of the natural cessa- tion of menstruation, usually after age 45. menses : The menstrual flow.

arrhea or constipation, insomnia, and weight gain. Behavioral symptoms, which can cause mild to severe person- ality changes, include tension, irritabil- ity, depression, anxiety, mood swings, outbreaks of temper, forgetfulness, ag- gression, indecisiveness, and difficulty concentrating. Symptoms may begin at any time during a woman’s childbearing years, from puberty through menopause . They

usually disappear while pregnant and after menopause. Symptoms may differ frommonth to month, or they may remain the same. One woman may have only one symptom, or she may suffer from a va- riety of physical and emotional symptoms. The severity also varies, some months being milder, followed by more distressful menses . Like Emily, Martie could not understand why she was having trouble in school at certain times and not others. For most of the month, Martie got As and Bs, played on the softball team, and worked part time at a local floral shop. She loved it all. But she had been noticing that sometimes she just didn’t want to go to practice, and she found herself making excuses for not being able to work. Once she told her boss she was so tired she had to go home to bed. And she did go home and took a nap. But later that day she started her period. She felt so much better she went out with her friends to a movie; to her embarrassment, she ran into her boss out- side the theater. She hadn’t lied about being so tired and she did feel better later in the day—but she knew her boss thought she had wanted to skip work so she could have a good time with her friends. Martie felt guilty. She didn’t know what was wrong with her. Symptoms like these are difficult to understand. If women do not comprehend the link between their feelings and their menstrual cycle, these symptoms may cause problems in their personal and work relationships.

16 • Premenstrual Disorders