---
title: Can fear of menstruation that stops periods be treated with therapy?
description: This single case shows that a woman whose periods had stopped due to fear of menstruation was helped by cognitive therapy (talking about her thoughts and beli
url: https://niyora.com/research/papers/menstruation-phobia-treated-by-cognitive-correction-a-case-report-1990/
---

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- Can fear of menstruation that stops periods be treated with therapy?

Case report, 1990

# Can fear of menstruation that stops periods be treated with therapy?

This single case shows that a woman whose periods had stopped due to fear of menstruation was helped by cognitive therapy (talking about her thoughts and beliefs), which increased her confidence and brought her periods back.

 Early or limited evidence

One woman

## What they did

Described a woman whose menstruation had stopped. A doctor diagnosed her with phobia (fear) of menstruation. Treated her with cognitive therapy that involved clarifying her thoughts and beliefs about menstruation.

## What they found

The therapy increased her confidence in her ability to handle menstruation and changed her beliefs about it. Her menstruation returned.

## What it means for you

Fear of menstruation can stop periods from coming. Talking through the fear and changing beliefs about menstruation can help. This is only one case, so we don't know how common this problem is or how well therapy works for other women.

1

woman

## About the study

Original title Menstruation phobia treated by cognitive correction: a case report Authors Shaw J Journal Journal of behavior therapy and experimental psychiatry Year 1990 Study design Case report What was tested Cognitive therapy (talking therapy focused on thoughts and beliefs) Read the paper [doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(90)90048-p](https://doi.org/10.1016/0005-7916(90)90048-p)

## Topics

[Cognition, concentration and memory](https://niyora.com/research/topics/symptom-cognition/)[Cognitive behavioral therapy](https://niyora.com/research/topics/treatment-cbt/)[Anxiety disorders and OCD](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-anxiety-disorders/)[Eating disorders](https://niyora.com/research/topics/comorbidity-eating-disorders/)[Stigma, attitudes and culture](https://niyora.com/research/topics/life-area-stigma-culture/)

Research tells you what helps on average. Niyora helps on the day it hits.

Calm down, see it another way, and decide what to say, with a PMS and PMDD app built by a doctor.

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