---
title: Can a woman's feelings about being feminine or masculine play a part in premenstrual distress?
description: In this single case, a woman's premenstrual distress was linked to an unconscious fantasy that her genitals were damaged, tied to conflicting feminine and mas
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/a-case-of-premenstrual-distress-bisexual-determinants-of-a-woman-s-fantasy-of-1992/
---

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- Can a woman's feelings about being feminine or masculine play a part in premenstrual distress?

Case report, 1992

# Can a woman's feelings about being feminine or masculine play a part in premenstrual distress?

In this single case, a woman's premenstrual distress was linked to an unconscious fantasy that her genitals were damaged, tied to conflicting feminine and masculine feelings. This comes from one person's therapy, so it cannot tell us how common this is.

 Early or limited evidence

One woman with premenstrual distress, treated with psychoanalysis.

## What they did

This is a report of one woman treated with psychoanalysis, a long-term talk therapy that explores unconscious thoughts and feelings. Her therapist described her case in detail to illustrate an idea about female psychological development.

## What they found

The therapist found that a fantasy about damage to her genitals was underneath her premenstrual distress. Her wishes and worries connected to both her feminine and masculine sides played a part in her symptoms. As therapy went on, it became clear that when she was aware of her feminine wishes, her masculine wishes stayed hidden from her, and the other way around. Working through these feelings helped ease her symptoms.

## What it means for you

This suggests that for some women, deep emotional conflicts about gender and identity could contribute to premenstrual distress, and that talking therapy may help. But this is based on one woman's experience described by her own therapist, with no comparison group, so it cannot show whether this applies to other women with PMS.

## About the study

Original title A case of premenstrual distress: bisexual determinants of a woman's fantasy of damage to her genital Authors Renik O Journal Journal of the American Psychoanalytic Association Year 1992 Study design Case report What was tested Psychoanalysis (long-term talk therapy exploring unconscious feelings). Read the paper [doi.org/10.1177/000306519204000108](https://doi.org/10.1177/000306519204000108)

## Topics

[Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)](https://niyora.com/research/topics/condition-pms/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

## Related studies

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Is PMDD a valid medical diagnosis?

Systematic review, 2012

Does the menstrual cycle cause negative mood, especially before your period?

Survey study, 2011

What premenstrual symptoms do women experience around the world and how much do they affect daily life?

Randomised trial, 2006

What herbs and dietary supplements have evidence for treating premenstrual syndrome?

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