Are you feeling shame around PCOS?
There are a lot of ways a woman with PCOS might feel shame and guilt. Guilt is an unpleasant feeling about something we did. But shame on the other hand, is a horrible feeling about who we think we are.
Does a PCOS diagnosis mean we are broken women? We might end up feeling that our fertility is faulty and our hormones will always out of whack. Our ovaries may be full of cysts, our periods are irregular and we’ll never be OK.
Basically, we’re not real, functioning, normal women.
And until we have a child, we’ll never be whole.
On top of the many ways you may be feeling shame, I’m sure you’ve read that PCOS can’t be cured so now, we’re perceiving ourselves as women with an incurable disease.
Around the world, studies have shown that shame and guilt are associated with infertility and can contribute to anxiety, depression, and isolation.
It’s a pretty awful spiral we can find ourselves in.
Friends’ baby showers become too painful to attend. We feel envy when we see another pregnancy announcement online. And these (normal) feelings contribute to our shame. Why can’t we be happy for our friends? Why can’t we be generous with our grace? Are we just broken women, cursed with an unfair affliction that affects not only our fertility but also our character?
What if I told you that global health experts think that some 116 million women worldwide struggle with PCOS?
You are not alone.
And what if I told you that PCOS around the world is rising at an alarming rate?
If the prevalence of PCOS is increasing all over the world, why? And if that’s true, then are you a failed woman or in fact a casualty of something larger?
Sure, there’s a genetic component to PCOS, nobody disputes that. But there are environmental factors too. From the pesticides and hormones used in factory farming to the chemicals in your furniture, we are being exposed to more and more hormone-mimicking toxins that are having a huge impact on our fertility.
And sugar is in almost everything these days. From baked beans to infant formula, US products have up to 500% more sugar than their European counterparts.
Our shame, should really be, rage.
Shame is an emotion that makes us quiet, small, unseen, and unheard. It keeps us isolated and sad, unmotivated and uninspired.
Rage, on the other hand, is energetic. It gets things done. It can be harnessed for good, for change and transformation.
According to Berkeley University magazine, ‘Greater Good- Science Based Insights for a Meaningful Life’ – “Research overwhelmingly indicates that feeling angry increases optimism, creativity, (and) effective performance”
It boils down to understanding what you can and what you cannot change.
So here’s the thing. You’re not broken. You’ve had your genetics hacked by a toxic environment and there’s a LOT you can do to take back that hack.
Shame is part of struggling with fertility. Converting that shame into anger and DOING something about it can change your life. Things like reducing your exposure to hidden chemicals or reading labels on food or how many colors of the rainbow you eat in a day, can all make a huge difference to your health and well-being. And, improve your fertility.
Let’s look at the things you CAN change in order to start boosting your fertility today.
Don’t let feeling shame hold you back a day longer. Get informed, get seen and get on track to get your family started. Let’s hack the system together! To schedule an appointment with me call or text Float Euphoria today at 509-940-1888