Mind over PMDD: A Glimpse into the Process of Pharmacotherapy-Psychotherapy Combination Treatment

The practice of combining pharmacotherapy with psychotherapy is advocated for as treatment of choice for many psychiatric disorders. Despite an abundance of outcome studies addressing this subject, little has been written about the process of combined treatment, leaving clinicians with insufficient guidance as to the "how" of the medication-psychotherapy merger. This case report follows the treatment course of a fourteen-year-old young woman initially diagnosed with Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder (PMDD) and provisional Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD). It demonstrates the benefits, drawbacks, possible pitfalls and successful outcome of combined therapy, an outcome which may not have been achieved had only one of the modalities been used.