Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) refers to a condition that results from the dramatic fluctuations of hormones, thus exerting an adverse impact on the women's ability to regulate their mood and behavior. Typically, the symptoms occur two weeks before the next menstrual period, lasting from two to 14 days, and subside with the onset of their menses ("Premenstrual Syndrome," 2000, p. 1). According to researchers, as many as 40 million women experience symptoms of PMS. Among this group of women, over five million women need medical intervention in order to cope with the severity of their symptoms (Lichten, 2000, p. 1).
The physical and emotions symptoms of PMS number more than 150. Physical symptoms of PMS consist of "headache, migraine, fluid retention, fatigue, constipation, painful joints, backache, abdominal cramping, heart palpitations and weight gain" (Lichten, 2000, p. 1). Patients with emotional symptoms are afflicted with severe mood swings. While some are anxious and chronically depressed, others are prone to panic attacks and frequent bouts of irritability. Suffering from severe stress, these individuals' ability to cope with their work and other areas of life is severely undermined by the symptoms of PMS (Lichten, 2000, p. 1).
Although American medical professions identified the symptoms of PMS in 1931, the general public only became aware of PMS in 1986 when it was officially recognized as a psychiatric disorder by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). Essentially, the official recognition was a vindication for the sufferers of PMS whose concerns had been dismissed by their gynecologists ("Oops! You're not crazy after all," 1998, p. 3). In 1994, the APA provoked the opposition of women's groups by classifying premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD)ùa more severe form of PMSùas a type of depressive disorder (Davidson, 2000, p. 6).
The groups of women who are most susceptible to PMS typically suffer from other co...