Treatment of a woman with menopausal symptoms by inclusion of Buddhist psychology in ordinary psychotherapy: a case report

Abstract

A postmenopausal woman, presented with complaints of general fatigue, malaise, feeling of loss of energy and powers of concentration, anxiety, and palpitation was treated both medically and by psychotherapy including Buddhist psychology.
She has a compulsive character, tends to be self-sacrificing, and is alexithymic. She had negative feelings toward her father because of problems in her relationship with him when she was a child. Against this background, she developed depression caused by her younger son's death and responsibilities related the perpetual religious ceremonies. As her depression did not respond to various types of pharmacotherapy, it seemed psychosomatic therapy was required. Psychotherapy incorporating Buddhist psychology was performed together with medical treatment. After the treatment for two months, she realized that she had ‘negative feelings towards her father and that she was greatly obsessed with them. Her way of thinking started to become very positive. After one year of treatment, she was able to accept her mental and physical conditions ‘as they were' and perceive negative realities as positive by changing her way of looking at things. Her symptoms improved rapidly and her quality of life improved.
In the treatment of menopausal women with undefined symptoms, who continually experience mental stress but do not have good skills to cope with it, incorporating Buddhist doctrines into psychotherapy can enable breakthroughs in treatment and improve quality of life. [Adv Obstet Gynecol,57(3): 284-291, 2005(H17.8)]