Welcome to my second blog post about PCOS. I want to talk about the mental health toll that is faced by myself and likely many other women with PCOS.
Many women with PCOS experience depression likely to due to both the chemical imbalances and as a consequence of the symptoms the condition causes. I know that before I was diagnosed I started experiencing a lot of hair loss due to my PCOS. I was a 13-year-old girl inexplicably losing her hair, which is a big deal for a teen of any race but due to the complicated legacy of black women and their hair imagine my distress. I found it difficult to feel beautiful while grappling with the emotional distress of being in pain for extended periods of time.
The pain aspect of PCOS is extremely difficult to explain. Some days I find it painful and difficult to walk and I still have to do my daily responsibilities, which also takes an intense emotional toll.
There are other fears that can lead to mental health strain for people with PCOS but I want to give advice on how to be supportive of someone with PCOS who may seem short, closed off, depressed, or anything else you can do a few small things. You could have a night in with them so they feel less isolated in their inability to do anything, you could give them space to be alone in their pain without suggesting unsolicited advice (which I mentioned in my last blog), or you could even give them small things to make their days in pain more enjoyable from snacks to even sending the link to a Youtube video that might make them smile.
9 thoughts on “Mental Health and PCOS”
Thank you for being so transparent and shining light on this topic
This post is very touching. I’ve only recently started to learn more about PCOS and how prevalent it is. I think understanding and knowing how we can support others is so important. Thank you for the advice and sharing your story! I look forward to reading more posts.
I think it’s great you are blogging about this. I didn’t even know about PCOS. Thank you for sharing.
Mental health is a serious discussion. I applaud you for sharing your struggles. I k ow you are blessed by sharing it with others who are afraid to.
So sorry you had to go through this! PCOS and the associated complications are really underestimated by many ! hope you are feeling better now !
A lot of people suffer from depression. It could be health-related or otherwise. It is important to be observant and help in little ways with lots of prayers for such people.
I am so sorry for what you have to live with every day because of PCOS. Thank you for sharing the ideas of things others can do for women with PCOS!
Thank you so much for writing about this and sharing your story. I suffer from depression and anxiety and its a hard journey but at the same time, I am happy to now get professional and the help I need.
As someone who also has PCOS and depression, I can totally relate to your struggle. You are so brave in sharing your story though. I couldn’t imagine how hard it was for you to write this but you still did and I truly admire you