Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD)

Paper Summary:

This paper examines Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD), which is a sever form of PMS that affects 2-8 percent of women. According ot the paper, the PMDD symptoms are so extreme and so incapacitating that women who experience it suffer socially, professionally and sexually. The paper discusses the hormonal causes of PMDD, explains how a diagnosis is reached, and reviews treatment options. Then the paper briefly addresses the controversy surrounding the determination of PMDD and asks whether this diagnosis is a fad or a medical fact. The paper concludes that when carefully made, PMDD is a valid diagnosis for a psychological/psychiatric condition that has physical, not emotional, causes, but which can have significant emotional, social and cognitive effects on the individual.

Outline:
Cause
Diagnosis
Treatment
Critics of the Diagnosis
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Although a lot has been learned about both PMS and PMDD, researchers have not been able to identify a clear cause for PMDD, which has both physical and psychological symptoms. The studies done so far tend to conflict with each other, denying both those who have PMDD and the doctors trying to help them a clear explanation for what is going on (Bosarge, 2003). However, recent research suggests that PMDD may result from an interaction between hormones released by the ovaries at ovulation and certain neurotransmitters in the brain (Bosarge, 2003). This would at least explain why the severe symptoms of PMDD appear during the second half of the reproductive cycle. Most researchers and doctors now believe that ovarian function rather than a hormonal imbalance causes PMDD, and that the condition is an interaction between the ovaries, the central nervous system and other organs (Steiner, 2000)."

More papers on Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD):

• Research Paper # 64713 : "Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder"
• Research Paper # 97239 : "Dissociative Identity Disorder"
• Research Paper # 72678 : "Conduct Disorder and Antisocial Disorder"

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