ABSTRACT
This chapter begins with some general clinical observations about the role of ovarian hormones and cyclicity and then focuses on specific areas of functioning that are affected by hormones, such as mood, affect, self-experience, sexuality, and appetite. Therese Benedek observed that sexuality had different meanings and functions during the different cycles. Appetites, cravings, and body image can all vary in relation to the phases of the menstrual cycle and production of ovarian hormones. This can have implications for the treatment of eating disorders: Just as women with mood disorders are more prone to an increase in symptoms during the premenstrual phase, women who express anxiety and depression through disordered eating often show an increase in symptoms during the premenstrual phase. The menstrual cycle, pregnancy, perimenopause, and menopause all have a profound impact on the mood, thought processes, self-concept, and appetites of many women, and this has been ignored and avoided in the psychoanalytic literature.
