Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) when I was 17. PCOS is a condition that affects the ovaries, and the main features of it are; the development of cysts in your ovaries, your ovaries not regularly releasing eggs, and having a high level of “male hormones” in your body. The NHS (2013) explains the symptoms of PCOS as, irregular or no periods, difficulty getting pregnant, excessive hair growth, weight gain and oily skin or acne. This mainly focuses on the effect it has on your body, however PCOS can have a huge effect on your emotional well being as well. 

It is unknown what causes PCOS however the underlying problem is a hormonal imbalance, which therefore has an affect on the ovaries, and causes other issues such as hair growth, weight gain and acne.  This hormonal imbalance also has a huge effect emotionally, and it has been shown that women with PCOS experience psychiatric problems and mood dysfunctions to a greater degree than women without PCOS (Farrell & Antoni 2010, cited in Barry et al., 2011). This means PCOS women more likely to suffer from depression, anxiety and mood problems, along with issues with body image, and a lack of self esteem and confidence. (Barry et al., 2011)

It has been shown by Jones et al. (2008, cited in Barry et al., 2011) that weight problems had the biggest impact on quality of life for those suffering with PCOS, and this is a leading contributing factor in causing psychological problems such as body dissatisfaction and depression (Karacan et al., 2014).  However other symptoms of PCOS can have a huge impact on emotional wellbeing and body image. Excessive hair growth is something I personally haven’t had an experience with, however it is something that many women with PCOS suffer from, and can have a huge effect on self esteem and body image. Compliance to a certain standard of beauty has become a moral obligation, and falling short of this is often seen as a failure in being a women (Dorenkamp et al., 1995, cited in Kitzinger & Willmott, 2002), and a study has shown that women experienced their excessive facial hair as a betrayal of their identity as a women and took all steps to remove it (Kitzinger & Willmott, 2002). 

During my personal experience of coping with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome I have struggled with many of the symptoms and side effects. However one of the main issues for me has been weight gain and the difficulty in loosing weight. As a teenager I already struggled with body image issues, a lack of self esteem, and mood problems, and my polycystics just made things worse. I’ve struggled through periods of mild depression, on an off anxiety, mood swings and a battle to love my own body. 

Weight gain wasn’t a massive issue, as before my diagnosis I’d been overweight and struggled with weight issues anyway. The problem for me was a lack of weight loss. No matter what I tried I’d struggle to loose weight, I would go to the gym 5 days a week, I’d attempt to eat as healthy as possible but with no weight loss, and in some cases a gain. It was hard seeing friends not trying as hard as me but loosing weight easily, my body didn’t work in the same way as other people’s but nobody understood that. Saying “it’s harder for me to loose weight than you” just sounded like an excuse, like I was really trying, but It was true, my body did work differently, and I hated it for it. 

Although I have come to terms with my body and how to cope with my PCOS it is still a struggle. It has been suggested by McFarlane et al. (1999, cited in Himelein & Thatcher, 2006) that overweight women suffering from PCOS who are urged to lose weight but are given no assistance or support are not only more likely to fail at their attempts to diet, but also to feel more dissatisfied with their bodies. It can therefore be said that it is more important to work on improving body image and self esteem than to to lose weight (Himelein & Thatcher, 2006).  It has also been suggested by Barry et al. (2011), that practitioners should be more aware of the higher probability of depression and anxiety in women suffering from PCOS, and should tailor treatments towards helping lower the risk of these occurring, and should also consider ‘talking treatment’ such as counselling or cognitive behavioural therapy.  I believe this is true, as I have received very little support with my condition, being told I should loose weight, and just ‘eat healthy and exercise’, although it was clear this wasn’t working. 

Research has shown that women with polycystic ovary syndrome can often be challenged in their perceptions of themselves as feminine and womanly (Kitzinger & Willmott, 2002),  and the symptoms and side effects of PCOS, such as weight gain, hair growth and acne can often lead to greater body dissatisfaction, depression and lack of self esteem than experienced by women not suffering from PCOS. On a personal level I believe PCOS needs to be better understood by doctors and practitioners, and more focus needs to be on the emotional well being of women suffering from this condition. 

Barry, J.A. & Kuczmierczyk, A.R & Hardiman, P.J. (2011) Anxiety and depression in polycystic ovary syndrome: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Human Reproduction. 26 (9) 2442-2451

Himelein, M.J. & Thatcher, S.S. (2006) Depression and Body Image among Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Journal of Health Psychology, 11 (4) 613-625

Karacan, E. et al. (2014) Body Satisfaction and Eating Attitudes among Girls and Young Women with and without Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. Journal of Pediatric and Adolescent Gynecology, 27 (2) 72-77

Kitzinger, C. & Willmott, J. (2002) ‘The thief of womenhood’: women’s experience of polycystic ovarian syndrome. Social Science & Medicine, 54 (3) 349-361

NHS (2013) Polycystic ovary syndrome [online] NHS <http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/Polycystic-ovarian-syndrome/Pages/Introduction.aspx> Accessed - 25/04/2014