I bleed

Below is an excerpt from an eMedicine article about a somewhat controversial condition called "premenstrual dysphoric disorder". For a not terribly well done overview of the controversy, see this APA Monitor piece.

(gotta love the feminist argument in that link, btw. By the argument as it is alluded to there, no one should be diagnosed with or treated for conditions like endometriosis because such a condition reaffirms stereotypes about women, i.e. that female anatomy and physiology are pathological as is evidenced by the monthly disability they cause.)

In the eMedicine article, the cognitive and social learning theory and the sociocultural theory are both pretty swell. But the one below, the psychosocial theory, is my absolute favorite. It's not just favorite PMDD causal theory, but my favorite example of misogyny and outdated shrunken gender roles being applied to clinical practice. I copied it and hung it up on my wall in my office.

The psychosocial theory hypothesizes that PMDD or PMS is a conscious manifestation of a woman's unconscious conflict about femininity and motherhood. Psychoanalysts proposed that premenstrual physical changes reminded the woman that she was not pregnant and, therefore, was not fulfilling her traditional feminine role. Obviously, proving this theory through scientific evidence is quite difficult.

Yeah, obviously.