Many women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome struggle with a multitude of symptoms, including anxiety. The anxiety symptom is not often talked about but it definitely makes women with PCOS feel isolated and alone. In this article, we will discuss the connection between PCOS and anxiety.
The link between PCOS and mental health
Research has shown that about 25% of the women with PCOS struggle with depression while 38% struggle with anxiety.
Interestingly, the research also found that PCOS symptoms like infertility and alopecia were triggered anxiety, acne symptom triggered depression, and hirsutism or unwanted hair growth triggered self esteem issues.
Physical symptoms of anxiety
There are many physical ways in which PCOS induced anxiety exhibits itself. They could be:
- Achurning feeling in your stomach
- Feeling light-headed or dizzy
- Feeling restless or unable to sit still
- Headaches, backache andother types of pains
- Faster breathing
- Afaster, stronger or irregular heartbeat
- Sweating or sudden body heat
- Sleepingproblems
- Nausea or feeling sick
- Having panic attacks
Mental symptoms of anxiety
Similarly, there are many ways in which PCOS induced anxiety exhibits itself, mentally. They could be:
- Feeling tensed, nervous or unable to relax
- Feeling like othersare judging you
- Worrying about your own anxietyor panic attacks
- Overthinking, specially about bad experiences
- And other, endlessworries
How to manage anxiety with PCOS?
To manage or treat PCOS induced anxiety, you must work on controlling your PCOS symptoms.
Follow a PCOS specific diet
Following a PCOS friendly diet really helps. It is a great way to stabilize hormonal imbalance and also to manage insulin and female testosterone levels. This will improve the symptoms of PCOS which were causing you anxiety and stress.
Supplements can really help
3 most beneficial supplements for PCOS are Inositol, Vitamin D and Omega 3 and there is a lot of good research to support their benefit if you have PCOS. Vitamin D and Omega 3 can improve the symptoms of depression and anxiety in women with PCOS.
Don’t hesitate to visit a healthcare professional
If you are really struggling with anxiety or depression and it is having a significant impact on your life, seek expert advice from a health professional who may prescribe you antidepressant or an anxiolytic to manage your mental health.
Try considering other therapies – Yoga and Acupuncture
Just like anyone else, women with PCOS can effectively control their anxiety symptoms and create mental well being by practicing yoga or going for acupuncture therapy.
PCOS is reversible and you must never lose hope.
PCOS is a syndrome and not a disease. With careful management and keeping a positive outlook towards life, you can keep a permanent control on PCOS symptoms as well as completely eliminate it.