PMS CENTER TO OPEN MONDAY IN CAPE GIRARDEAU

The Cape Girardeau Premenstrual Syndrome Center will be opening at Rainbow Counseling Services on Monday.

Betty Statler, who is the owner of Rainbow, a licensed professional counselor and a registered nurse, will be running the PMS Center.

Statler will be partners with Patricia Coughlin, the clinical director of the Premenstrual Center in St. Louis.

Coughlin has had a 90 percent success rate from the 7,000 patients her clinic has treated in the eight years the St. Louis clinic has been open.

"The timing is the key to premenstrual syndrome," said Coughlin. "The symptoms can be caused by an hormone imbalance."

Catherine Fox, a counselor at the PMS Center in St. Louis, said, "Premenstrual syndrome is a cluster of 12 or more of the premenstrual symptoms together."

Some of the 200 premenstrual symptoms include depression, tension, anxiety attacks, angry outbursts, irritability, bloating, and unusual dietary cravings. PMS symptoms are not caused by psychological or mental problems.

Fox said that premenstrual syndrome interferes with a person's lifestyle. Fox, who has gone through the PMS program, said, "The socialization process change is hard, but the rewards are worth the change."

"The biggest thing is that women need to realize there are other solutions to premenstrual syndrome other than therapy and tranquilizers," said Fox.

Fox said that the premenstrual clinic is very natural. "At the center we treat, diagnose, educate and train women about the PMS disorder," said Fox.

Some things the program includes are exercise, diet, counseling and sometimes medication.

Coughlin spoke Friday at Southeast Missouri State University, where 21 people attended. At Southeast, Coughlin announced the opening of the Cape Girardeau PMS Center and discussed the symptoms and treatments of premenstrual syndrome.

"Our program in Cape Girardeau will be a satellite program, with Patricia coming here every month to present seminars," Statler said.

The center's program includes four steps.

First, women go through a screening, which includes an evaluation and medical history, and women chart their symptoms for two to three months.

Next, women attend a full-day seminar where the program is individualized to each woman. At the seminar women are taught about diet, exercise, vitamin and hormone therapy.

Then, the women start on the program. "You do this for the rest of your life," said Fox. "It is a lifestyle change, the same if a person was diagnosed as a diabetic. It's a behavior modification, but a change for the better."

The last part of the clinic is the follow-up visits. Four weeks after the women start the program, there is a follow-up visit where the women's progress is checked. After that, women go to three months of follow-up visits.

"Some people do require extended counseling," said Statler.

Ruth Ann Ford is a therapist at Rainbow Counseling Services and has been through the program. "Since I've been on the program my symptoms have been very minor," Ford said. "In fact, they leave as long as I follow the program. The difference is like night and day."

Ford said it is recommended that husbands be involved in the clinic.

The premenstrual clinic costs between $300 and $350, but is covered by most medical insurance companies.

For more information on the center call the clinic at 339-1450.