Psychological Counselling
Polycystic Ovaries/ Obesity/ Infertility/ Menopause are complex conditions that impact many aspects of a person’s health, including Mental health.
How is PCO related to mental health?
Polycystic ovaries is a complex condition which impacts many aspects of a person’s health, including mental health. Patients who have been diagnosed with PCO are about 3 times more likely to be diagnosed with anxiety and depression than people without PCO. People with PCO are also much more likely to report symptoms of anxiety and depression and those symptoms are more likely to be severe .
Most of the research on PCO and mental health has focused on depression and anxiety, but it may also be associated with an increased risk of obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), bipolar disorder, and eating disorders .
Why is there a link between PCOS and mental health?
It’s unclear what causes the increased risk for anxiety and depression among people with PCO. It could be due to PCO symptoms or hormonal differences associated with the disorder, or to a combination of factors that is still unknown.
PCO can cause symptoms like infertility and hirsutism (excess facial and body hair) irregular periods, which causes a lot of anxiousness . Some people with PCO report feeling frustrated and anxious about their ability to become pregnant, their weight, excess body and facial hair, or lack of control over their health and bodies.
A person’s values and the culture they live in will impact which characteristics they may find distressing. These same characteristics can also impact the emotional well-being of people without PCO. People with PCO still have an increased risk for depression and anxiety regardless of their weight, age, socioeconomic factors, facial and body hair, and fertility.
People with PCOS who have anxiety or depression may have lower levels of certain neurotransmitters (chemicals that send signals
throughout the brain and nervous system). Neurotransmitters like serotonin (a chemical messenger within the nervous system that is associated with positive feelings) play an important role in depression and anxiety. One study showed that people with PCOS who have low levels of serotonin and other neurotransmitters report more symptoms of depression and anxiety .
People who have PCO and feel depressed or anxious, or notice changes in their mood, can talk to counsellor about possible treatment options. There are many treatments that may help with depression and anxiety.
Lifestyle changes
The effect of diet and exercise on symptoms of depression and anxiety in people with PCOS has been researched. Low-calorie diets in combination with exercise do not appear to improve symptoms of anxiety, and may only improve depression short-term .
Leading an active lifestyle in general may help improve mental health. People with PCO who reported exercising regularly had fewer symptoms of anxiety and depression , and those who said they did at least 150 minutes of moderate exercise each week were less likely to be depressed.
In short women with PCO are more likely to experience anxiety and depression. Studies say that anywhere from 27% to around 50% of women with PCO being depressed, compared to around 195 of women without PCO.
There may be improvement in depression and anxiety among people with PCOS who receive acupuncture and in people who practice mindfulness 30 minutes a day. Yoga practice that includes poses, guided relaxation, breathing exercises, and meditation may also improve symptoms of anxiety in people with PCO
The psychological impact of obesity during the teenage years can have significant effects on both girls and boys. Teenage & Adolescence plays a critical period of development in a child’s life , & the presence of obesity has seen to trigger various psychological aspects
What are the Mental Health Challenges:
Obesity in teenagers can contribute to mental health issues such as
depression, anxiety, and stress. These conditions might arise due to
body image concerns, social pressures, or the struggle to meet
societal ideals and expectations
Obese teenagers may experience a
reduced quality of life due to limitations in physical activities,
potential health issues, and the emotional impact of obesity. This
can affect their overall impacts their happiness and well-being.
There might be a correlation between
obesity and academic performance. Psychological stress related to
body image concerns or social challenges could potentially impact a
teenager’s focus, engagement, and performance in school.
Some
obese teenagers might develop unhealthy relationships with food,
leading to the development of eating disorders, binge eating, or
other disordered eating patterns as a coping mechanism.
The psychological impact of
obesity during the teenage years can have lasting effects can
manifest into Low self esteem, irregular periods in girls PCO,
Hirsutism, Body Image issues, or get bullied and all these may spill
in their adulthood if not addressed. It can influence their
personality, relationships, and emotional well-being in later stages
of life.
The way you may go about it at Ankoor clinic is an holistic approach by
seeking
Seeking professional help from healthcare
providers, dieticians counselors, or therapists specialized in
adolescent mental health and obesity can provide valuable support
and guidance.
Encouraging and supporting healthy
lifestyle choices involving nutritious eating habits, regular physical
activity, and a positive body image culture can be immensely
beneficial.
Educating teenagers about body
positivity, self-acceptance, and the importance of overall health
over appearance can help mitigate the negative impact of societal
pressures
Psychological impact of menopause on a women
Menopause counseling can help with:
Identifying sources of anxiety, low mood, and negative thinking
Learning techniques to mitigate the impact of these feelings
Rebuilding self-confidence, particularly around the ageing body and societal norms
Coping with the body’s emotional responses and adjustments
Helping with hot flashes and night sweat
The common areas that can be explored in menopause counselling are: Identifying sources of anxiety, low mood, and negative thinking and learning techniques to mitigate their impact. Rebuilding self-confidence, particularly around the ageing body and societal norms.
Obesity and Mental Health
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines obesity as abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. Body mass index (BMI) is used to classify overweight and obesity levels in adults. A BMI over 23 is considered overweight, and a BMI over 28 is considered obese. An individual’s bodyweight is affected by several factors, including genetic, metabolic, behavioral, environmental, cultural, and socioeconomic influences.
Physiologically, obesity is a risk factor for diseases such as:
- Cardiovascular diseases, such as heart disease and stroke
- Diabetes
- Musculoskeletal disorders ̶ especially osteoarthritis, a disabling degenerative disease of the joints.
- Some types of cancers ̶ endometrial, breast, ovarian, prostate, liver, gallbladder, kidney, and colon.
While obesity may be caused by genetic factors, a sedentary lifestyle, or prolonged overeating, these are not the only causes. Emotions such as sadness, anxiety, stress can also lead to overeating. Several people tend to be emotional eaters which can lead to weight gain.
The relationship between obesity and psychology
Psychological factors and obesity share a bidirectional relationship. Simply put, obesity is affected by an individual’s psychological health, and an individual’s physical health (i.e., obesity) affects their psychological health.
Obesity is frequently linked to depression, and the two can influence each other. Obese persons have a 55% increased risk of depression, and 58% of people with depression have a risk of obesity. There is also an association with higher risk of suicide for women with higher BMI. Going through stressful life events can also lead to depression, which in turn leads to overeating, eating too much of the wrong foods (which are often more comforting, such as fried foods and desserts), and skipping exercise.
In addition to this, obese persons often experience weight bias and discrimination from other individuals. Being obese leads to people facing stigma, criticism and abuse. These societal factors lead to individuals experiencing low self-esteem, social isolation, as well as actually affecting their physical health and increasing weight gain. People also experiences feelings of embarrassment, shame, and guilt regarding their weight.
Due to the bidirectional nature of this relationship, preexisting psychological disorders may also lead to obesity. As mentioned earlier, people with depression are more at risk of developing obesity. Depression is often accompanied by an unhealthy lifestyle, such as lack of exercise and unhealthy diet, leading to weight gain.
Another symptom of depression, binge eating, can also lead to obesity. Binge eating disorder (BED) is characterized by excessive and uncontrolled food consumption, while the individual is not feeling hungry. Because food is used a coping mechanism, negative feelings may lead to someone developing BED, and subsequently, obesity.
Obesity management: psychological approach
An ideal plan for obesity management is a holistic one. A collaborative effort in which each discipline works effectively with the individual to help them achieve their goals is necessary. A psychological approach can help with the following aspects of obesity:
- Understanding someone’s eating behavior
- Their feelings about food
- Functions that food might have served (e.g., coping tool)
- Identifying current cycles around thoughts, feelings, and eating habits
- Supporting lifestyle change
- Reframe the message into self-care rather than weight loss
- Increasing motivation to change habits
- Stress management
- Self-monitoring
- Tracking diet and exercise
- Create awareness of one’s choices
- Goal-setting
- Realistic and achievable goals
- Problem-solving
- Creating a personalized plan for achieving goals
- Planning for difficult situations regarding food choices
- Cognitive restructuring
- Changing thought patterns that hinder obesity management
Due to the various factors leading to obesity, obesity management requires a multidisciplinary approach with all disciplines working collaboratively. When all aspects of obesity, including psychosocial aspects, are addressed, individuals are more likely to stick with their treatment plan and achieve long-term change.
Guided with meditation sessions & Breathing exercises
It’s a precise techniques for resting the mind and attaining a state of the consciousness which is totally different from normal waking state. This is a science, where the process of meditation follows a particular pattern which has principles, with daily practice can produce a result that can be verified. In meditation, get the clearity of mind, get more relaxed and also focused in life. Meditation is done when you are fully awake and follow some guided instructions to first allow to get your thoughts, and later to control them so that you know they don’t affect you anymore and can prevent their adverse effects on body.
Meditation cannot only calm your mind, but calm your skin too. It helps the patient reduce stress and get better sleep, which affects the skin condition greatly.
We have telomeres at the end of our chromosomes that get shorter and shorter with aging. Studies have shown that the increased telomeres activity and stem cell count in our blood may delay the aging process. They found that meditation might increase the telomere activity.
So practicing meditation along with other treatments do help to keep mind calm and prevents the aging process.
