Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD), also known as late luteal phase disorder, is a pathology that can be treated thanks to Psychology. These somatopsychic diseases or syndromes are of unknown origin. However, it is believed that changes in the concentration of sex steroids associated with the menstrual cycle may be related.
According to psychologists the symptoms appear about a week before menstruation, during the luteal phase. These include mood disorders (irritability, mood lability, depression, anxiety, confusion, social withdrawal), sleep disturbances (difficulty in falling asleep or maintaining restful sleep) or behavioral changes (e.g., change in eating patterns). In addition to physical symptoms (lower extremity edema, weight gain, headache, syncope, paresthesia, breast tenderness or pain, abdominal distension).
Although the exact cause of premenstrual moodiness is not known, it is estimated that up to 80% of women experience some disturbance of mood, sleep or somatic symptoms in the premenstrual phase, and approximately 40% suffer from mild or moderate mood, leading them to consult their physician. However, only 3-7% of women suffer symptoms that significantly impair their functional activity, a situation that determines the diagnosis of PMDD. Thus, PMS and PMDD are differentiated by the number and severity of symptoms as well as functional impairment.
Treatment of premenstrual syndrome
Although there is currently no conclusive research on the prognosis and course of PMDD, all indications are that symptoms tend to be chronic unless effective treatment is applied. Currently, patients generally respond well to selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Also, for both PMDD and PMS, supportive psychotherapy to help them recognize the symptoms is effective. This would contribute to the definition of a coping strategy, relief, and thus a subjective sense of control of the situation, which can help to address functional impairment.
During the psychotherapeutic approach, psychoeducation techniques are used to improve physical symptoms through dietary guidelines, including diuretic and depurative foods, and exercises to improve edema and pain, as well as self-control techniques for irritability, breathing and relaxation methods for anxiety and sleep problems, among others. When a patient arrives for consultation, the first step is to establish a personalized design of the treatment, based on the needs and symptoms presented by each patient.
This type of therapy has been proven to be effective, whether it is an adjunct or a pharmacological therapy for PMDD, or as a single treatment for PMDD and PMS. Patients detect an improvement in a few months, especially with respect to affective symptoms, as well as the subjective feeling of control of a situation that until then was assumed with resignation and that involved their quality of life and even interactions with other people.