There's a brand new study just out by one of PCOS' premier experts strengthening the correlation between anxiety and PCOS.
However, rather than this study confirming that yes, you are anxious because you have PCOS, it suggests that you may have PCOS because you have a tendency to be anxious.
This is a meta-analysis, meaning that 613 studies and 9 with similar methods were collectively analyzed for their common findings. Meaning the findings are significant.
Anxiety was present in about 20% of women with PCOS, compared to about 4% in controls. That is about 5 times higher.
We at inCYST believe that it is a combination of a tendency to be anxious, in combination with unhealthy coping behaviors such as over/undereating, over/underexercising, compulsions, and self-destructive behavior, that launches the complex web you all call PCOS. Bottom line is that since a large part of the problem is the choices that you make to manage the symptoms, the true cure for PCOS isn't anything we can hand you. It's about how you decide to manage the symptoms.
If you're having trouble changing behaviors that you use to self-soothe, even though you know they aren't working, I strongly suggest that you become a fan of Dr. Gretchen's Mental Health Monday series. Perhaps even schedule a Skype session with her if you do not live in Los Angeles.
It could make the difference between your controlling your PCOS, or the other way around.
Dokras A, Clifton S, Futterweit W, Wild R. Increased prevalence of anxiety symptoms in women with polycystic ovary syndrome: systematic review and meta-analysis. Fertil Steril. 2012 Jan;97(1):225-230.e2. Epub 2011 Nov 27.