If you're a fan of Gretchen Kubacky, PsyD, you know she's educational and great listening. If you're not, here's your opportunity to change that!
Dr. Gretchen's upcoming webinar contents and registration information include: --screening clients for PCOS and other health and endocrine disorders --physical and psychological presentations of PCOS --common comorbidities --how PCOS-prevalent hormones affect the brain and the development of mood disorders --why coordination of care is so critical --preferred treatment methods --what to expect during the course of treatment --psychotherapist self-care --additional resources
In addition to her psychology training, Gretchen lives with both PCOS and diabetes; her first hand experience helps bring a compassionate perspective to this challenging and often overlooked aspect of PCOS.
You may listen to this webinar separately, or register for the entire PCOS professional training. Information can be found either on our Facebook page, or at www.afterthediet.com/AftertheDietWorkshop.htm.
Nonprofessionals are more than welcome to participate!
So let's say you've landed on this website because you were doing a Google search at 3:30 in the morning.
Or because you're home from work and can't slow your head down enough to relax and enjoy a leisure activity…so you're surfing the Internet to distract yourself.
What's going on?
It could be a lot of things.
1. If your hormones are out of balance, as with PCOS, you may have excess levels of stress hormones such as cortisol that rise more easily than average, and take longer to normalize after a stressful day.
2. If you didn't sleep well last night and used caffeine and sugar to get through your day, you may be experiencing the aftermath of that.
3. If you over-exercised too late in the day, because it's only large amounts of exercise that help to calm your mind, it may have stressed you more than it relaxed you.
4. You may have a mood disorder (anxiety, bipolar disorder, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder).
How to know which is which? If you've made major changes in your lifestyle, corrected nutrition choices, worked to prioritize sleep, etc., and your head simply won't slow down, that's a huge red flag that something important lies beneath those behaviors. In fact, the imbalances you adopted, from eating sugar to drinking alcohol to relax, to marathon exercise sessions, may have helped you to"medicate" something more important going on in your nervous system.
Mood disorders are important not to ignore. They can be degenerative, which means, left unchecked, they can prematurely age the brain and nervous system. Your new lifestyle choices are incredibly important in slowing that process down, but you may find that additional help, such as a medication, can be tremendously useful as far as finally bringing you back into balance.
If you feel as though I'm describing you, you may be interested in another blog I write, about nutritional aspects of psychotropic medications. It goes into more detail about this specific topic, and I do post a lot of information about nutrition for brain and nervous system health.
Awhile ago I made an informal (that is, never scientifically tested) questionnaire. It's not intended to diagnose, but rather to get you thinking about what kinds of thinking patterns may be underlying how often and how intensely you experience stress. You may be blaming your racing head on your stress, but it may be that your racing head attracts you to situations and relationships that are stressful.
There is no right or wrong way to answer these questions. But do consider, the more"yes" responses you give yourself, and the less your answers change in response to reasonable changes in diet, activity, sleep, and stress management, the more important it is to consider that you may have a mood disorder.
Are You A High energy Thinker? (Copyright 2000, www.afterthediet.com)
1. I am easily flustered.
2. I am easily drawn into a conflict.
3. I am very organized, and when my routine is disrupted, it can ruin my day.
4. I have a hard time with change, I would rather control thngs than let them take their natural course.
5. I can become so attached to a person, idea, or situation that I lose sight of the"big picture" perspective.
6. Staying focused on a task is a challenge; I am easily distracted/bored.
7. I can become obsessed with an activity. I ccan lose track of time because I get so absorbed.
8. People tell me I overanalyze things.
9. Peole tell me I am an adrenaline junkie.
10. I am a perfectionist.
11. I am very sensitive to criticism.
12. I worry a lot.
13. I procrastinate/can't finish projects I start.
14. I feel like I sabotage myself.
15. I have a way of saying or doing impulsive things that undermine relationships or which hurt my credibility.
16. I toss and turn a lot before falling asleep.
17. I can do a lot of things at once; in fact, it's easier thann doing one thing at a time.
18. I feel driven by some sort of internal machine.
Dr. Gretchen Kubacky will be the featured expert this week on the PCOS Challenge Expert Webinar series.
Here is a description of her upcoming presentation:
Depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, infertility, and many other disorders are much more common in women with PCOS. In this PCOS Challenge Expert Series workshop, Dr. HOUSE will address the psychological issues and coping skills necessary for thriving with PCOS. Dr. HOUSE will also explain how to identify the most common conditions, suggest ways to find sources for help and support, and describe how to proactively manage your mental and physical health and relationships.
In this workshop, you will learn:
What a mood disorder is and what it looks like. Signs that you might be feeling suicidal. What every PCOS woman needs to know about infertility. Coping skills for relationships, medical treatments, and body image issues. How to be a proactive patient and get the help you need now.
