Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)

Feminist psychology is vigorous, creative, and increasingly activist. This volume reflects women's diversity and incorporates strategies for social action and opportunities for political activism. It anticipates trends and developments in the psychology of women and feminist psychology. Chapters include those about women and self-esteem, leadership skills, welfare reform, spirituality, and domestic violence. The emphasis on social activism is unique. Unusual and cutting-edge research methodologies and techniques are also discussed.

This unique guide provides useful, practical summaries of the most important mental health concerns of women. This resource helps readers intervene efficiently and effectively by providing comprehensive, yet practical answers to the most common problems seen in practice, with an emphasis on treatment guidelines and other vital steps that should be taken.

"Beere has written another useful reference book. This latest is actually a continuation of Gender Roles: A Handbook of Tests and Measures (Greenwood Press, 1990). . . . [This book] identifies 197 tests on many different topics including sexuality, pregnancy and childbirth, contraception and abortion, and eating disorders. . . . Students and faculty will find Sex and Gender Issues worthwhile and easy to use. Highly recommended for four-year college and university libraries." Choice

Caffeine. Candy. Sex. Shopping. Smoking. Whether we realize it or not, all of us have strategies for self-medicating ourselves when we feel threatened or overwhelmed by tension or tiredness. But why does one person respond to pressure by going for a five-mile run, while another indulges in a five-hour drinking marathon? Why do some of us crave companionship, while others just want to be alone? And what really helps most to reduce tension and increase energy, a brisk ten-minute walk, twenty minutes of meditation, or two hours of watching TV? In this fascinating new book, nationally known psychologist Robert E. Thayer serves as an expert guide through the latest research into moods and mood management, offering proven techniques for putting today's most important breakthroughs to work in our day-to-day lives. Thayer, whose own work on the biopsychology of moods has been widely discussed in the leading scientific journals--as well as in the pages of Reader's Digest, Prevention, USA Today, McCall's, Good Housekeeping, Men's Health, Redbook, and hundreds of other magazines and newspapers, and on the popular radio show "The Osgood File"--evaluates the hard scientific evidence as he reveals which behaviors energize and empower us, and which sabotage our best interests. (Just five or ten minutes of walking, for example, can enhance mood for an hour or more, while sugar snacking, Thayer shows, causes more tension than it reduces.) Thayer argues that when we learn to see moods as vital barometers of our whole psychology and physiology, rather than mysterious, purely emotional reactions to events around us, we not only understand ourselves better, we have the opportunity to substantially improve our personal effectiveness, both mentally and physically. Thayer offers compelling evidence that our moods--particularly feelings of energy and tension--are closely tied to the rhythms of our evolutionary past. They are directly affected by our health, the food we eat, the amount of sleep we get, exercise (or lack of it), and the time of day. We learn why problems seem more serious late at night, and why a simple disagreement with a co-worker or spouse is more apt to turn into an emotional flare-up at certain times of day. We investigate key differences in the most common ways men and women deal with bad moods, and probe the implications of these findings on our understanding of alcoholism and depression. Far from a shallow quick-fix book, Everyday Moods: Energy and Tension is an in-depth exploration of the origins and influences of moods that affect us every day of our lives. It brings readers to a new understanding of the underlying biology of their daily cycles of energy and tension, and offers powerful recommendations for breaking self-destructive habits and leading a richer, more enjoyable life.

Shedding light on the shocking process by which the mental-health elite judge us all, psychologist Paula Caplan debunks and demystifies the intentionally intimidating psychobabble and pronouncements of the American Psychiatric Association. "Gives us a fighting chance to avoid becoming victims of the mental health establishment".--Cleveland Plain Dealer.