Did some serious reading as part of a project on a variety of topics related to menstruation. Making a note of my responses to them.
1. First topic with author's name and tagline
Pathologizing Your Period
B Y PA U LA J . C AP LA N
(Despite a lack of evidence, the psychiatric establishment has made extreme premenstrual distress a recognized disorder—and a boon to Big Pharma.)
I felt that this article goes beyond the usual discussion scope on premenstrual syndrome, which usually covers physical and emotional distress such as cramps, dizziness, hopelesness and tearfulness. It speaks about American authorities on psychiatry, categorizing certain unrelated symptoms under depression related to menstruation and labelling that as a mental disorder. Men also show these symptoms, it says.
So the question that comes to my mind is why they connect a mental disorder to menstruation. The author says that it is sexism and a boon to pharmaceutical companies.
My personal response was to wonder if some mental illness cases reported in the media, diagnosed as due to extreme PMS could be due to some other undiagnosed disorder. How can we believe a single doctor's diagnosis when the medical body has no proof that this mentally aberrant behaviour is related to menstruation?
1. First topic with author's name and tagline
Pathologizing Your Period
B Y PA U LA J . C AP LA N
(Despite a lack of evidence, the psychiatric establishment has made extreme premenstrual distress a recognized disorder—and a boon to Big Pharma.)
I felt that this article goes beyond the usual discussion scope on premenstrual syndrome, which usually covers physical and emotional distress such as cramps, dizziness, hopelesness and tearfulness. It speaks about American authorities on psychiatry, categorizing certain unrelated symptoms under depression related to menstruation and labelling that as a mental disorder. Men also show these symptoms, it says.
So the question that comes to my mind is why they connect a mental disorder to menstruation. The author says that it is sexism and a boon to pharmaceutical companies.
My personal response was to wonder if some mental illness cases reported in the media, diagnosed as due to extreme PMS could be due to some other undiagnosed disorder. How can we believe a single doctor's diagnosis when the medical body has no proof that this mentally aberrant behaviour is related to menstruation?
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