Treatment
It is essential that the diagnosis is firmly established by precise dating of episodes and the menses. Two cycles of prospective daily ratings (recommended for the diagnosis of menstrual mood disorder) is not sufficient for menstrual psychosis. It is also important to obtain a gynaecological opinion, because correction of abnormal menstruation may be important in treatment.
Standard tranquillizing drugs or electroconvulsive treatment may be effective in the acute episode, but are ineffective in arresting the cyclical illness. This, with its pattern of monthly relapses, offers an opportunity for single patient sequential trials. Many unconventional treatments have been tried and claimed to be effective. At present, the most promising appear to be thyroid and clomiphene.
Read more about this topic: Menstrual Psychosis
Famous quotes containing the word treatment:
“Our treatment of both older people and children reflects the value we place on independence and autonomy. We do our best to make our children independent from birth. We leave them all alone in rooms with the lights out and tell them, “Go to sleep by yourselves.” And the old people we respect most are the ones who will fight for their independence, who would sooner starve to death than ask for help.”
—Margaret Mead (1901–1978)
“Narcissist: psychoanalytic term for the person who loves himself more than his analyst; considered to be the manifestation of a dire mental disease whose successful treatment depends on the patient learning to love the analyst more and himself less.”
—Thomas Szasz (b. 1920)
“[17th-century] Puritans were the first modern parents. Like many of us, they looked on their treatment of children as a test of their own self-control. Their goal was not to simply to ensure the child’s duty to the family, but to help him or her make personal, individual commitments. They were the first authors to state that children must obey God rather than parents, in case of a clear conflict.”
—C. John Sommerville (20th century)