Struggling with PCOS and weight loss, which is the main cause of my depression. Everyday is hard.

[zippedzipp]

Hi everyone,

The past two years have been terrible for me. I am almost 24 and feel like I wasting my life. I'm incredibly depressed, and the main reason for that is because I have extreme body image issues. So much so that I never want to leave the house because I am so ashamed of how much weight I've put on in such a short amount of time. I don't even want to see my friends.

Today I was diagnosed with PCOS. I'm at a breaking point now as although it's good I finally have a diagnosis that explains so much of why I'm feeling the way I am, it's also super frustrating to have a life-long condition that just makes losing weight harder + a bunch of other things (anxiety, depression, fatigue, infertility). I'm just very upset and overwhelmed today. 

I mourn the way I was before the weight starting piling on. I'm in a toxic habit of looking back at old photos of my when I was skinny and happy and I burst into tears look at them. I used to write music and play in a band and have a lot of fun and now I just feel like a boring, overweight loser. My creativity has gone too, I can't write music like how I used to. Everything is just so much harder now. I mourn my old self so so much and I would do anything to be like her again. But I can't because of this stupid PCOS diagnosis. I just feel like life is trying to tell me to just give up.

I really don't know what to do from here. I would love it if there was someone else out there who feels the same way I do, and also has PCOS?

[white knight]

Hi, welcome

As a male and not professional medical staff I will restrict my comments to weight loss only but thanks for posting.

I'm 67yo and my wife 59yo and we have individually suffered weight gain/obesity all our lives. We've tried all the diets and the lite food meals etc, to no avail.

We attended our doctor a couple of months ago and he prescribed a weight loss injection (we cant name medications here) and there is 3 or 4 available. We have both lost 10kg in 6 weeks.

Yes we have a way to go but the enthusiasm has returned, the appetite has disappeared and that is what makes it all viable.

You have posted in a very understanding and wonderful site here. I'm hoping others can comment soon and cover the other areas.

TonyWK

[indigo22]

Hi Zippedzipp,

I am so sorry to hear how low you are feeling and want to thank you for reaching out to us.

Body image is so prevalent in our society, we are conditioned to believe we must look and be perfect to be a worthwhile person, but that is absolutely not true.

You are creative and the only reason you are not able to access that part of yourself at the moment is because your mood is so low and because you are being so hard on yourself about how you currently look. I am a creative person also and I know that depression can make it hard to enjoy the things that once gave you pleasure. So address one step at a time, with the goal to bring your well being (physically, mentally, emotionally) back into balance.

You have only just received your diagnosis so give yourself some time to settle, but remember that you are not your diagnosis, it is something that is happening within your body, it is not who you are.

I would suggest doing your research, find out as much as you can about it and look into alternative therapies as well such as Naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine etc. to see if they have had any positive results in treating your condition. All is not lost until you have turned over every stone available to you.

As far as the weight loss, I became a vegan about 3 years ago and lost 10kg in the first year and that was without doing anything else like exercise. This does require being responsible about what you are including in your diet to make sure you are getting all you need in the way of nutrients plus taking a couple of supplements to keep your system balanced. I am not suggesting this approach is right for you but if you would like to know more about it, I am happy to continue the conversation.

I have been dealing with depression for many years and I know how the fatigue can get you down, it is probably the thing I struggle most with at the moment.

Have you been officially diagnosed with depression and anxiety? Are you on any medication?

Are you getting some help and support from family, friends, counselling?

You need support to get through how you are feeling at the moment so please reach out to those you feel comfortable with for their support.

I hope this has been some help to you, I will be here if you would like to talk some more.

Just be gentle with yourself at the moment.

indigo

[zippedzipp]

hey indigo,

thanks so much for your response. I am getting support from a nutritionist. she's been really helpful. I guess the thing that's hard to acknowledge right now is how long it's gonna take me to feel like me again. I hate me right now and I want to change fast but I know it doesn't work like that.... i wish!

Yes i was diagnosed with depression + anxiety maybe 6 years ago. I recently came off antidepressants as I didn't want anything preventing me from losing weight. so i'm currently only taking natural supplements to help my depression. I want to go back to seeing a therapist though, I haven't been to one in about a year as it just got too expensive (that's another thing I hate right now, is how much everything costs when you're mentally and physically ill). But maybe I'll go to one again and try find a cheaper way to do it? I just find those free online ones and the apps and stuff don't really work for me, I much prefer seeing someone in person.

[indigo22]

Talk with your GP about the counselling and let them know that you need to find a way that will be affordable for you. I went to a social worker for many years for counselling which was really helpful and this may be a less expensive option for you.

It is always preferable to lose weight gradually as you are more likely to keep it off once you reach your target. Also remember that the person you are looking at in the photos is not the same person you are now, you are dealing with a different set of circumstances, so you need to focus on being the best version of yourself you can be in this time frame.

Let us know how things are going.

indigo

[indi_moon]

Hi there, I’m also 23 and recently discovered I have PCOS. Without a doubt it’s a lot to handle and I just want to say thank you for sharing your story. The relatability is just off the charts. In my experience, I felt a lot of grief and also an incredible amount of validation. I won’t lie that being able to withstand the symptoms of weight gain, acne and hair loss (in my experience) along with depression, fatigue and anxiety is really hard. I sought help from a naturopath at first, but more recently I have also accepted the use of western medications too. I would highly recommend this as it will take immense pressure off your shoulders. I am slowly learning what my body needs in terms of diet and lifestyle adjustments. I’m slowly acknowledging that it is different to those without PCOS. I am still discovering the ways to feeling better myself, the journey is so up and down. I try to tell myself that the more time I take to know my body now, the more it will thank me later in the years to come. I hope you are able to find some answers if your own soon too. You’re not in this alone ❤️