Why am I angry?
Meet Patrizia and her doctor "Ignorance"

I am Angry...

I feel so angry today! I know that getting angry won`t solve the problem. I know that getting angry is not a solution.

But today I feel angry and I want to share it with you. Being aware and acknowledging our feelings (even those not so pleasant) is a part of a journey to mental and emotional health.

And I always want to be transparent with you. So I feel angry, but why?

Meet my client PATRIZIA and her doctor "ignorance"

THE DOCTOR “IGNORANCE”

Today my beautiful client Patrizia called me after her visit to the doctor.

She was told that: “without a contraceptive pills she won’t be able to do anything about PCOS”.
She was told that she “have to plan a baby as soon as possible”.
She was told that “supplements are myths”.
She was told that “PCOS is like diabetes, you have to be on the medication for the rest of your life”.

Basically the only “solutions” for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome she got was to take a contraceptive pill or to get pregnant!

MY CLIENT PATRIZIA

I`ve heard disappointment and frustration in her voice.

Patrizia stopped taking contraceptive pills a few months ago and she went to the doctor to check how her hormones are doing.

She chose to manage her PCOS without the pill in January 2022 (seven month ago). Her period is not yet regular and her hair is still falling out, but her skin is starting to get better, she is more energetic and most importantly she finally feels herself again.

She was well prepared to ask questions about her hormonal health, but the answers were very vague and she didn’t learn anything new.

What made me angry was that she was pushed by her doctor to take a contraceptive pill. The doctor told her that the pill is convenient, it will make her skin get better, and that the pill will make her period regular (girls on the pill you don’t have a menstrual cycle, but the withdrawal bleeds).

But the doctor didn’t mention to her the side effects of the contraceptive pill. And there are many.

Fortunately after a few sessions together she was well educated about menstrual heath, hormones, PCOS and its implications.

She decided to manage her PCOS with nutrition and lifestyle modifications.

You Decide how to treat your polycystic ovary syndrome

But what about women who do not know anything about Polycystic Ovary Syndrome or women who are at the beginning of their PCOS journey?

What if they hear from their doctors “you have to take a pill for the rest of your life”, “come back when you want to have a baby” or even worse “you won’t be able to have kids ever”?!

They are left without any support and understanding of what is going on with their health.

What young women might feel at that moment? Loneliness, sadness, anger, guilt, shame?

This makes me angry: The level of ignorance about women’s health issues.

It makes me angry that our questions are answered unclearly or completely overlooked.

*Just to be clear, if you decide to take a hormonal pill and it is your decision based on valid information regarding its effectiveness, side effects and how it works on PCOS, that`s completely fine. You know what is the best for you at any given moment. Remember the narrative works both ways. Never feel judged, criticised or shamed, because of your treatment for PCOS.

But if you, like my client Patrizia, decide to stop the pill and try other treatment methods, do not allow your doctors (or any other person) to imply on you their point of view on contraceptive pills as “THE ONLY solution”.

Contraceptive pill is not the only solution, it is a “treatment management” option that you can choose or not.