The Debate About PMDD and Sarafem

Abstract

Complex and delicate issues of ethics and practice confront the feminist therapist in working with women who have been diagnosed, or have diagnosed themselves, as having “Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder” (PMDD). The complexity arises from a combination of the fact that PMDD is an invented “mental illness” that has never been proven to exist, the aggressive marketing campaign created by pharmaceutical giant Eli Lilly for its drug Sarafem-which is actually Prozac-to treat this “disorder,” and the reality that many women who are upset for good reasons believe that receiving the PMDD label is a sign that their reports of their feelings are believed. Suggestions are made for therapists to consider in grappling with this difficult confluence of facts and concerns.

Key Words:

• “Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder” Sarafem
• invented mental illness
• therapists' dilemmas