PCOD or Polycystic Ovarian Disease is a hormonal disorder caused due to unhealthy lifestyle choices, genetics and environmental factors. The physical symptoms of PCOD include irregular or heavy periods, weight gain, acne, hair loss, pigmentation on certain areas of the body like neck or armpits among others. While the physical symptoms of PCOD are noticed and even treated, this hormonal disease also brings certain mental health issues that should be addressed.
We asked Dr. Phani Madhuri, MBBS, MS (OBG), FIRM (RGUHS), Apollo Cradle and Children’s Hospital, Bangalore, about the most common mental health issues that often accompany Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) and get overlooked.
Talking about the mental health effects of PCOD, Dr. Phani Madhuri says, “Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) deeply impacts the mental and emotional well-being of countless women. The extent of mental and emotional turmoil experienced by millions of women due to Polycystic Ovarian Disease (PCOD) is truly challenging. Though symptoms like an irregular period, weight gain, and inability to conceive have commonly been talked about, the emotional toll that this disease takes, still remains unknown to most people.”
Here are some ways through which PCOD may affect a woman physically and psychologically.
6 Lesser-known mental health issues that accompany PCOD
1. The mental toil of challenging physical symptoms
PCOD affects women in their formative and fertile years. The physical symptoms of PCOD can range from minor to debilitating. These physical symptoms can pose a challenge to carry out day to day activities with ease. Physical symptoms like excessive facial hair, weight gain and acne can affect one’s self image and self esteem. Difficulty in weight loss and infertility are some of the other physical symptomsthat may contribute to mental health issues like stress, anxiety and depression. To sum up, the mental burden of dealing with these physiological changes can be quite overwhelming.
Dr. Phani Madhuri says, “PCOD often brings changes such as weight gain, acne, or excess facial hair. This distorts her self-image. These changes further make a woman alienate from her body, thus further developing low self-esteem and self-worth.”
2. Difficulty in sleeping and emotional fatigue
PCOD can also affect your quality of sleep. Lack of adequate sleep contributes to hormonal imbalance, high stress levels, mood swings and irritability. The emotional fatigue caused by sleep issues due to PCOD can interfere with your routine life and productivity. Lack of sleep affects your decision-making and problem-solving skills.
Dr. Madhuri explains, “Insomnia and other types of sleep disorders are also common in women with this condition, taking away the much-needed restful sleep that is required to energise and clear the mind. Further, fatigue will interfere with their usual routine activities. Such feelings cause frustration and irritation. The longer the person has been suffering from sleep deprivation, the more agonising it becomes to cope with stress or a fragile emotional state.”
3. Unpredictable mood swings
Mood swings are one of the unpleasant mental health symptoms of PCOD. Wherever you are or whatever you are doing, you can feel the shift in your mood due to this hormonal disorder. Dr. Madhuri says that these mood swings can affect your social interactions and relationships, contributing to potential social withdrawal and isolation. Mood swings may also disrupt your productivity.
“Hormonal fluctuations are one of the key effects of PCOD. This can easily lead to mood swings that appear out of the blue. Such mood swings not only affect relationships but also make living with the everyday struggles of PCOD unbearable,” Dr. Madhuri explains.
4. Emotional eating that leads to weight gain and difficulty in losing weight
If you are unaware of the physical and mental symptoms of PCOD, you may fall victim to the perils of emotional eating, weight gain and difficulty in losing that weight. PCOD creates a vicious cycle of symptoms that revolves around binge-eating due to stress and other emotions, gaining weight and finding it challenging to lose weight that only elevates your stress levels.
Dr. Phani Madhuri says, “Many women tend to find comfort in foods rich in sugar and unhealthy fats during emotional down-swings. This goes round in cycles, binge-eating, gaining weight, and increasing stress. It leaves the person fighting both with their emotions and weight.”
5. The invisible burden of emotional isolation
Mental symptoms of PCOD like mood swings, irritability and diminishing self-esteem and self-image can cause you to isolate yourself. Socialising starts to seem like a burden if one is suffering from PCOD. Some may even find it overwhelming and overstimulating. Social withdrawal can add to the stress levels, anxiety and depression.
Dr. Madhuri adds, “With depleting self-image, PCOD often generates a feeling of shame within. Social events become overwhelming, and the temptation to isolate the self from social engagement and relationships as well as job prospects becomes strong. Isolation heightens loneliness and sadness, thus providing a gap or barrier between women and emotional support they require.”
6. Hormonal changes and depression
Certain hormonal imbalances in PCOD can cause feelings of despair. The distorted self-image and dealing with stigmas associated with infertilitycan contribute to serious mental health concerns. These things may tempt you to avoid social interactions, adding to isolation and depression.
Dr. Madhuri says, “The hormonal imbalances accompanying PCOD also present challenges pertaining to mental health. The high levels of androgens and insulin resistance often cause the sad feelings of alienation and despair. This condition, added to the social stigmas related to infertility and negative body image, makes a person depressed. Low energy, lack of motivation, and a need for withdrawal from social interactions pushes the road to emotional recovery pretty steep.”
She adds, “PCOD is a multidimensional problem, which impacts more than the physical symptoms. Solving the psychological problems caused by PCOD would mean having a balanced, all-rounded life. Open communication with a doctor, personal treatment plans, lifestyle changes such as mindful eating, exercise, and therapy are some of the steps taken toward holistic healing.”
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