Females: Your Period / Question
Published: September 30, 2005
Dear TeenHealthFX,
I am 16 and have really bad PMS. I feel really depressed and suicidal for 2 weeks each month and totally fine the rest of the time. I also hit, bite, scrape and kick myself causing huge bruises. I cry at least 5 times a day and hit and kick my brother. I feel fat and stupid even though I got the 3rd highest marks out of my year of 120 girls and am a size 6. I think about death all the time and hope 2 die. I pick fights and lose my temper constantly. I don't have any real friends and don't have a boyfriend. I've never even touched a lad's hand. This only bothers me when I have PMS. Last month I cut back my caffeine intake and this really helped. Nobody knows and i want to keep it that way. I'd never go to a doctor. Do you have any tips or advice?
Signed: Really Bad PMS
Dear Really Bad PMS,
TeenHealthFX wonders why you want to keep your suffering a secret (and also, why you’d never go to a doctor)? Two weeks each month adds up to 24 weeks a year – that’s almost a half a year of misery! And you aren’t alone in your suffering - many teens and women have PMS (which is a treatable medical disorder). The quickest way to find out what’s going on with you and find a treatment is to see a doctor.
We suggest you check out the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists website for some excellent information about PMS. They strongly recommend keeping a menstrual diary, as there are other conditions that worsen during certain times of the menstrual cycle. Other recommendations include aerobic exercise, eating a diet of complex carbohydrate and the use calcium supplements.
This information can’t replace a thorough evaluation by your doctor. If you don’t have a doctor and live in northern New Jersey, contact the Adolescent/Young Adult Center for Health at 973.971.5199. If you live outside of this area, contact your local teen health clinic or Planned Parenthood.
Signed: TeenHealthFX
About 44% of rape victims are under age 18. Three out of every twenty victims (15%) are under age 12. 
