If you’re on this page of my website, chances are that either you, someone you care about, or a client of yours may be suffering within the survival journey of trying to manage the difficult affects of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (often abbreviated PCOS).
As a therapist with the syndrome, I’d like to stress how much I get how rough the journey of figuring out how to live meaningfully with the pain and frustrations that come with PCOS…and how it has a way of causing disrupting imbalances in our lives, just like it does within our bodies.
First, biologically, there are these kinds of disruptions affect our hormonal balance, the natural flow of our reproductive cycle and abilities, sometimes painful cysts on our ovaries that can affect how we function throughout the day, and unwanted symptoms related to undesired excess hair growth, weight gain, body inflammation, and susceptibility to other serious health conditions such as diabetes.
This endocrine disorder, affecting the hormonal and reproductive health of 5-10% of the female population (and affects women of color more frequently and severely — black women are especially disproportionately affected), has a root cause that is not fully understood and still being studied — yet, what remains loud and known is the suffering caused, not only in living with the symptoms but also being understood by others how deep the pain can go, leaving us often feeling fearful, isolated and hopeless. This often puts us at risk of further issues that exacerbate our suffering.
And while we’re on the topic of the pain PCOS causes, this actually brings us to the second point in regards to disruptions: that it’s not focused on nearly enough how much PCOS disrupts us mentally.
The stress and anxiety that comes with the unknowns and unpredictability of how the imbalances and cysts can affect us; the sadness, mood changes and resentment that comes with living not only though the literal symptoms, but also through being dismissed or given mismanaged diagnoses from past healthcare professionals due to over-focus on matters such as your weight or lifestyle as being solely to blame rather than being taken seriously that there is something deeper, causing a further lack of trust and fear in the healthcare system; and the trauma of being told how this may affect the rest of your life, especially if you had hopes that things would be different in terms of your healthcare and reproductive choices.
It’s distressing, especially when what’s going on inside of us feels so control-less. It can be difficult to remember how to live a meaningful life with the pain and fear of trying to make sense of making it through this is magnified.
All of the above — the difficulties, disruptions, and how it all inevitably affects the psyche of most PCOS sufferers — is why I desire to not only remind you that you are worth being heard and fully believed, but also that it’s very important for you to have support for your mental health as you navigate the journey of surviving and thriving through the suffering that PCOS often brings us.
During and after therapy, your life may look like:
Improved understanding on how PCOS affects our mental health, often making us more susceptible to higher levels of anxiety, depression, and at times traumatic stress, which all can further impact our stress levels and ability to cope and function — and what we can do within our control to manage these symptoms
Being able to better process the pain and frustrations that had oftentimes left you feeling stuck in life that you’ve gone through mentally, physically, relationally, spiritually
Not believing in the lies that our thoughts (and society) tell us about our self-worth based on our health condition or ability to reproduce, and having a stronger sense of self in the midst of it all that helps you have improve self-determination of your healthcare and reproductive choices
Taking back agency of your life by being better able to balance the reconciliation of what you can and cannot control
Seeing that it is possible to make lifestyle changes that help manage PCOS symptoms that are in alignment with who you actually are and what you desire in life — and further seeing that this balance does not have to be either/or
If any of the above ways on which I can help you manage PCOS sounds like it can really benefit you, let’s take the next step! Contact me so we can schedule a free consultation to confirm if I’m the right fit for your journey, and we can start up on the path to a more hopeful and manageable future!
Further informational resources on Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS):
PCOS fact sheet from the United States’ Office on Women’s Health