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Menstrual and Premenstrual Mood Disorders

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phenomenology and treatment of Psychophysiological Disorders

Abstract

Throughout recorded history, the phenomenon of menstruation has been a cause of concern to both men and women, and society has developed many rituals and customs to deal with this concern. For example, in the Old Testament, Leviticus XV states, “When a woman has a discharge of blood which is her regular discharge from her body, she shall be in her impurity for seven days, and whoever touches her shall be unclean until that evening.” Stephens (1), in a publication concerning the cross-cultural study of menstrual taboos, refers to such taboos as “beliefs or superstitions about dangers inherent in menstruation, and the avoidance customs rationalized by these beliefs.” He states that a dominant belief in many societies with menstrual taboos is that menstruating women are directly or indirectly dangerous to men. The reason for such customs as menstrual huts, menstrual cooking taboos, and menstrual sexual taboos is ostensibly to protect men from such women, which may be a reflection of male castration anxiety.

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Authors
  1. David S. Janowsky
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Psychiatry, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA

    William E. Fann M.D. , Ismet Karacan M.D., (Med) D.Sci. , Alex D. Pokorny M.D.  & Robert L. Williams M.D. , ,  & 

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© 1982 Spectrum Publications, Inc.

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Janowsky, D.S. (1982). Menstrual and Premenstrual Mood Disorders. In: Fann, W.E., Karacan, I., Pokorny, A.D., Williams, R.L. (eds) phenomenology and treatment of Psychophysiological Disorders. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7289-9_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-7289-9_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-011-7291-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-011-7289-9

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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