Some women will find it difficult to imagine (and perhaps even difficult to admit) that they might be making themselves feel But PMS is exacerbated by all sorts of things—what and how whether we drink alcohol, our jobs, our relationships, our strategies, whether we exercise, and even society’s expectations us. No single factor causes PMS (after all, brain chemistry and are the primary drivers), but habits and choices nevertheless impact overall well-being and influence the degree to which feel disabled by PMS.

The typical woman’s lifestyle today is more stressful, harried, and unhealthy than ever. Thanks to technology like cell phones, PDAs, and laptop computers, women can work anywhere and anytime. The downside, of course, is that for many working women, there is no time off from the job. Society also expects women to be supermoms or super-working-moms. Of course, stress levels are sky high!

Add to this the availability and convenience of unhealthful foods, cramped schedules that leave little—if any—time for exercise, and the picture becomes clearer: women are becoming more overweight and less healthy than ever. This leaves most women more susceptible to PMS, and it can exacerbate the symptoms.