What Are The Emotional Symptoms Of PCOS? | myPCOSteam

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What Are The Emotional Symptoms Of PCOS?
A myPCOSteam Member asked a question 💭

I do not know what emotional symptoms I am experiencing BECAUSE of PCOS, and if I have any of them.

So those who experience them and know that they are from PCOS, what are those symptoms?

I really am trying to figure out my psychology and knowing that I have PCOS and hormonal imbalance I wanted to know

posted May 10, 2020
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A myPCOSteam Member

Hi Bisho. I totally relate to this. Procrastination can be really hard! And it's so common. Admittedly, I use this forum as a procrastination tool all the time - hah! As a student, I was also a procrastinator and my grades were all over the place as a result. Now, I teach college myself, and I try hard to work especially reflexively with my students who are procrastinators (of which there are many, every semester). In academic contexts, we can be especially hard on ourselves leading to shame, guilt, and even more procrastination. It's a cycle. This is a lifelong journey and the first step is just recognizing that you struggle with it. And just because time management isn't your first, immediate strength, does not mean you don't have many other strengths that will serve you well in life. And it does not mean you can't learn to flex that time management muscle over time. You will likely need some help along the way though. Change is easiest when we surround ourselves with supportive people. Counseling is a great first step!

One thing you could try is to start keeping a journal or list of kinds of tasks you procrastinate. What were you emotionally feeling at the time? Doing this, I realized that I tend to put off tasks that I don't know how to do, or tasks that feel so large that I feel like I will fail before I even start. For me, breaking things down into smaller manageable chucks has been helpful, and also ... just starting. I find that if I make a deal with myself to do 20 solid minutes of a task, then I'm much more likely to continue. Also, have you heard of the Pomodoro method? You could give this style of work a try and see if it works for you: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNBmG24djoY

The other thing I do, because I'm a very relational person, is to remind myself of who I am responsible to, as in "I need to update my syllabus today because I am responsible to my 20 students who need the information from me" etc... Try to think about what motivates you, and then maybe, over time, you can learn to reframe your thinking. Ask your psychologist about this.

Like the other women in this forum, I don't think you'll ever be able to clearly know how much of your negative emotion is rooted in PCOS, but knowing that PCOS makes you more prone to anxiety and that procrastination has roots in anxiety is hopefully helpful. I think a lot of us PCOS women can tend to be perfectionists which is also closely tied to procrastination.

posted May 10, 2020
A myPCOSteam Member

I notice that when I've been really bad about watching my carbs I start to feel really down. Sometimes I fall of the wagon with my diet but I know when I need to get back on because my mood gets really bad. I'll be really grouchy, take things really personally, and I tend to have nightmares. But when I am eating right and exercising I am a totally different person. I'm more bubbly, energetic, optimistic, and ready to take on anything that comes my way. So, I don't know if you have tried changing your diet yet, but you might want to try limiting your carbs.

posted May 10, 2020
A myPCOSteam Member

It is very hard to know if emotional issues is solely caused by PCOS. But many women with PCOS deal with anxiety, depression, and more. I deal with anxiety (not diagnosed though) and it gets worse around the time of my period. Is this similar to what you experience, or is it different?

posted May 10, 2020
A myPCOSteam Member

I think seeking out a therapist is a good thing. Online can be a safe thing for now but later you may consider going in person where they can offer things they can't do online. We are all different and come from different situations so it's hard to say that your issues are coming from PCOS. It could also come from past traumas. Sometimes it can all weave together and we don't realize that a past trauma might be responsible for things that are going on now.

posted May 10, 2020
A myPCOSteam Member

Symptoms can be different for everybody what you might have someone else might not.

posted May 10, 2020

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