Is depression an inevitable consequence of PCOS, or any other hormonally related diagnosis, for that matter? We know that the diabetic population experiences a rate of depression nearing 30% overall, which is significantly higher than the rate of depression in the general population. Women tend to suffer from depression, or it's lesser cousin, dysthymia ("depression light"), far more than men. The infertility that results from PCOS is yet another common cause of depression. Looking at all these causative health factors almost makes depression seem like an inevitability if you have PCOS, doesn't it?
However, it's important to remember that depression is not a thing — it is not a particular spot in the brain, an object like a tumor in your body, or even a set of cells that gets activated and can be turned on and off like a light switch. Depression is a concept — a construct that tries to define and systematize a sometimes vague set of symptoms that includes tiredness, loss of energy, loss of interest in things that once brought you joy, weight gain or loss, sleep difficulties, and even thoughts of suicide.
So, even if you have a diagnosis of depression or dysthymia, remember that you are not your symptoms. You are an individual who has a certain set of symptoms, but how you approach the management of those symptoms is subject to your individuality. Just as you must personalize other aspects of your PCOS treatment, you must personalize treatment for depression or dysthymia. This may include individual therapy, group therapy, support groups, mindfulness, meditation, dietary changes that support better brain chemistry, supplements, or perhaps antidepressant medications.
If you are feeling depressed, talk to your primary health care practitioner about your symptoms. They are not necessarily an inevitabile outcome of living with PCOS, and there are many ways to obtain relief. In a future post, I'll be discussing the prevalence of anxiety and anxiety disorders in women with PCOS, how depression and anxiety overlap, and what you can do to decrease your anxiety.
Gretchen Kubacky, Psy.D.
Los Angeles, CA 90064
ph: (310) 625-6083
gretchen@drhousemd.com