My Story With PCOS (PMOS): Hormones, Mental Health & Women’s Health Advocacy
A therapist’s personal story living with PCOS/PMOS, hormonal mental health symptoms, fertility fears, and learning to support the body through stress management, hormone education, and self-advocacy.
At 12 years old, I started my menstrual cycle. My period would come and go unpredictably, and I often experienced significant pain from ovarian cysts rupturing. Alongside the physical symptoms, I struggled with anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and depressive symptoms that I didn’t fully understand at the time.
By the age of 14, I realized I was struggling with something that impacts many women: PCOS, now more recently referred to as Polyendocrine Metabolic Ovarian Syndrome (PMOS).
For years, I carried fear around what this diagnosis could mean for my future. I created stories in my mind about infertility and whether I would ever become pregnant one day. (Fourteen years later, I did become pregnant — but that is another story in itself.)
What I have learned over the years is that hormones are not isolated. The body functions as an interconnected system. When one area is struggling — whether due to inflammation, insulin resistance, chronic stress, nervous system dysregulation, or metabolic concerns — the entire body can begin communicating distress signals.
Living with PMOS has taught me that understanding hormones often requires a much deeper and more comprehensive approach than many women initially receive.
While lifestyle factors such as sleep, stress management, movement, nutrition, and understanding family history can play an important role in supporting hormonal health, it is not always as simple as “just exercise more” or “eat differently.” Hormonal conditions can be complex, layered, and deeply connected to both physical and emotional well-being.
One of the most difficult parts of navigating PMOS can be feeling unseen within healthcare systems that are often designed to treat symptoms individually rather than viewing the body as a whole system. Western medicine absolutely has its place — especially in emergencies, diagnostics, and medical intervention — but many women are still left searching for more comprehensive support, education, and understanding around hormonal health.
My own journey led me to explore multiple avenues of healing and education. From becoming a Functional Hormone Health Specialist, to studying fertility awareness methods (FAM), to advocating for hormonal mental health awareness, I began learning how deeply connected our hormones, nervous system, and emotional health truly are.
Genetically, I likely have a predisposition toward insulin resistance. However, I made the decision that this diagnosis would not define my entire life or future. Through a combination of support systems — including medical care, stress management, acupuncture, nervous system support, biofeedback, movement, and deeper self-understanding — I have learned how to better support my body instead of constantly fighting against it.
And honestly, I am still learning.
If you are navigating PMOS/PCOS, endometriosis, fertility concerns, hormonal mood changes, or the emotional impact of living with chronic hormonal symptoms, please know that you are not alone.
As both a therapist and someone personally diagnosed with PMOS, I understand how emotionally exhausting it can feel to advocate for yourself while also trying to function in everyday life.
Healing has not looked like perfection for me. It has looked like learning my body day by day, understanding ovulation through fertility awareness methods, consulting with supportive providers, regulating stress, and continuing to advocate for myself in spaces where women’s health deserves more care, research, and understanding.
There is support available.
And your body is not failing you.
