CHAPTER 2

BIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY

that make us human and that enable us to think more deeply and act more cleverly than any other organism (after all, we write the textbooks). An understanding of biology helps us grasp many psychological events that might otherwise seem elusive and without substance.

LearningConnections

THE ENDOCRINE SYSTEM: CHEMICALS IN THE BLOODSTREAM

REFLECT AND RELATE Have you heard that adolescents are "hormonal" or affected by "glands"? If so, which glands would they be? CRITICAL THINKING If so many behaviors and mental processes are affected by glands, do people have free will?

ACT!VE REVIEW (22) The secretes hormones that regulate the pituitary gland. (23) The pituitary hormone regulates maternal behavior in lower animals and stimulates production of milk in women. (24) The thyroid hormone affects the metabolism. (25) Epinephrine is secreted by the adrenal and is involved in emotional arousal.

~ Go to Psychology CourseMate at www.cengagebrain.com for

~ an interactive version of these questions.

-LIFE CONNECTIONS

COPING WITH PMS

Most women experience some degree of menstrual discomfort. Women with persistent menstrual distress may profit from the following suggestions. 1. Don't blame yourself. Menstrual problems were once erroneously attributed to women's "hysterical" nature. This is nonsense. Researchers have not yet fully pinpointed the causal elements and patterns, but there is no evidence that women with PMS are hysterical. 2. Keep track of your menstrual symptoms to identify patterns. 3. Develop strategies for dealing with days on which you experience the most distress-strategies that will enhance pleasure . and minimize stress. Go to a movie or get into that novel you've been meaning to read. I 4. Ask yourself whether you harbor self-defeating attitudes that might be compounding distress. Do close relatives or friends see menstruation as an illness, a time of "pollution," or a "dirty thing"? Have you adopted any of these attitudes-if not verbally, then in ways that affect your behavior, as by restricting social activities during your period? 5. See a doctor about your symptoms. Pain can be caused or worsened by problems such as endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease (PID). 6. Develop healthful eating habits. Consider limiting intake of alcohol, caffeine, fats, salt, and sweets. 7. If you feel bloated, eat smaller meals or snacks throughout the day rather than a couple of highly filling meals. 8. Vigorous exercise-jogging, swimming, bicycling, fast walking, dancing, skating, jumping rope-helps relieve PMS in some women (Daley, 2009)' Try it out. 9. Check with your doctor about h~rbal, vitamin, and mineral supplements (chaste berry, calcium, evening primrose, magnesium, vitamin E, wild yams, and so on) (Lloyd & Hornsby, 2009). Exercise and PHS Many women find that vigorous exercise helps them manage premenstrual symptoms.

10.0ver-the-counter anti-inflammatory medicines such as aspirin, acetaminophen, and ibuprofen may be helpful for cramping (Clayton, 2008). Prescription drugs such as tranquilizers (e.g., alprazolam) and SSRls may be of help (Brown et aL, 2009; Clayton, 2008). Ask your doctor for a recommendation. 11. Menstruation is triggered by a sharp drop-off in sex hormones. Some gynecologists prescribe estrogen replacement to relieve PMS, although this approach is not free of hazards. One method is simply to continue specialized oral contraceptives for 28 days rather than 21 days and thus to forego menstruation (Fife & Schrager, 2009). 12. Menstrual problems are time limited. Don't worry about getting through life or a career. Focus instead on the next couple of days.