Have you ever felt helpless with PCOS and dismissed those feelings because you thought they were unfounded? While it’s important to care for your physical well-being when you have PCOS, it’s equally important to care for your mental well-being. PCOS can be overwhelming, and fear can overtake your senses when you are diagnosed with it. Women with PCOS often feel anxious or frustrated when their periods are delayed or they gain weight. Their mood swings are often misunderstood as just a hormonal malfunction, when in fact this can seriously affect your overall well-being. Physical health can only be improved by maintaining an appropriate balance in your mental health as well.
Studies show that women with PCOS are more prone to anxiety and depression than those without the condition. Although most researchers have not been able to find a link between depression and PCOS, there are several possibilities. To start with, it’s important to understand how your mental health is affected. Your lifestyle can be drastically altered by PCOS, making you self-conscious about your body image and thinking in general.
PCOS and Depression:
It is becoming more and more common to suffer from depression, which affects the way you think, feel, or act, which adversely impacts your judgment. The majority of people with depression describe their condition as a persistent sense of sadness. We are all capable of feeling sad from time to time, but it is crucial to recognize that when such feelings affect the way we perform or conduct our everyday activities, it needs to be addressed and treated. There are many symptoms correlated with depression, which is why it is important to talk to a therapist when you are experiencing any of these symptoms.
What causes depression in PCOS?
Several factors may contribute to the feelings of depression in PCOS, but the most common one is the difficulties associated with dealing with the symptoms.
Insulin resistance: Insulin resistance is a common problem for women with PCOS, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels. Even though insulin resistance has been linked to depression, the reason behind it is not entirely clear. According to studies, insulin resistance can lead to abnormal hormone function, which contributes indirectly to depression in women with PCOS.
Stress: When you are diagnosed with PCOS by your healthcare provider, accepting the diagnosis and adjusting to the condition can be stressful. The symptoms of PCOS are varied and affect the entire body in different ways, so you may feel as if you have less control over your body. PCOS can cause a woman to feel depressed due to mood swings and anxiety about a variety of physical and psychological reasons. The reason for this is that you feel stressed when you are threatened by a situation and don’t see a way out. Having a little stress can motivate you to take care of your body, but an excess of stress might make you depressed and debilitate your daily functions.
Body Image: You may experience physical changes as a result of PCOS, affecting how you feel about yourself and how you look. The way you feel about your body has a direct bearing on your self-confidence. The weight gain, excessive hair, and acne that accompany PCOS can make you feel self-conscious and alter your thinking. It is not uncommon for women to completely restrict their diets, try fad diets with little nutritional value, and obsess about their weight. Taking such extreme steps will not work in most cases and is not the solution to treating PCOS. The result may be a significant drop in women’s self-esteem, and depression may develop as a result. Throughout the PCOS journey, it is crucial to understand that treating the symptoms of PCOS is the only way to take care of yourself.
Seek help!
You should seek mental health care if you consistently feel sad and are unsure whether you are worrying unnecessarily about your condition. Various types of therapy are available, and each woman can find what works best for her. Support groups can give women a sense of belonging because they can talk about their hardships without feeling alone. Many people find that a few sessions of counseling are enough, while others may benefit from continual or regular sessions. Every woman’s PCOS journey is unique, and these experiences vary throughout her life. To reverse your PCOS successfully, you must fulfill your physical and mental needs at any point in time.
Taking care of your mental health can make a huge difference to your overall wellbeing. Taking a holistic approach to PCOS is the key to success!
