S.O.S. for Women Afflicted with PMS Cravings

Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) (unlike PMT or Premenstrual Tension) is a collection of physical, psychological, and emotional symptoms related to a woman's menstrual cycle. While most women (about 80 percent) of child-bearing age have some symptoms of PMS, the official definition limits the scope to having symptoms of "sufficient severity to interfere with some aspects of life". Pre Menstrual Syndrome can occur before, during and after menstruation, as in the most severe cases several of the symptoms are present. The reason the symptoms can appear all through the month is that each problem has a knock on effect with the next, so much so that those suffering from severe PMS can become crippled with anxiety and depression as they struggle to feel well each month.

While some experts claim that virtually all menstruating women experience PMS, a more recent and intermediate position shows that only a small percentage of women (2 to 5%) have significant premenstrual symptoms that are separate from the discomfort associated with menstruation.Matlin, Margaret W., The Psychology of Women: Sixth Edition 2008.

Culturally, the abbreviation PMS is widely understood in the United States (and other countries, for example Australia) to refer to difficulties associated with menses, and the abbreviation is used frequently even in casual and colloquial settings, without regard to medical rigor. In these contexts, the syndrome is rarely referred to without abbreviation, and the connotations of the reference are frequently more broad than the clinical definition.