Case report, 1990
Can fear of menstruation that stops periods be treated with therapy?
This single case shows that a woman whose periods had stopped due to fear of menstruation was helped by cognitive therapy (talking about her thoughts and beliefs), which increased her confidence and brought her periods back.
What they did
Described a woman whose menstruation had stopped. A doctor diagnosed her with phobia (fear) of menstruation. Treated her with cognitive therapy that involved clarifying her thoughts and beliefs about menstruation.
What they found
The therapy increased her confidence in her ability to handle menstruation and changed her beliefs about it. Her menstruation returned.
What it means for you
Fear of menstruation can stop periods from coming. Talking through the fear and changing beliefs about menstruation can help. This is only one case, so we don't know how common this problem is or how well therapy works for other women.
1
woman
About the study
- Original title
- Menstruation phobia treated by cognitive correction: a case report
- Authors
- Shaw J
- Journal
- Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry
- Year
- 1990
- Study design
- Case report
- What was tested
- Cognitive therapy (talking therapy focused on thoughts and beliefs)
- Read the paper
- doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(90)90048-p
Topics
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