Understanding the Label of PCOS
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a very common label for Artists and Sensitives. It was actually my first and started my healing journey in my late teens. It’s often given when your body expresses abnormal behavior like irregular or paused menstrual cycles, extra hair on the face, nipples and arms, elevated insulin, acne, sleep issues, and stubborn weight gain around the abdomen. What you may also be experiencing is an increased sensitivity to the sun, accelerated aging of the skin, susceptibility to toxins like mold, brain fog, memory loss or struggle with recall, low energy, anxiety, and depression. There’s ALOT going on here that is rarely discussed or identified.
I am not a medical doctor, so diagnoses is not in my wheelhouse, but I can speak to the body’s expression and how we can resolve the symptoms that lead a medical practitioner to qualify you for this box.
Many of these symptoms can range from mild to intense. What’s notable is that you’re good at managing them. You limit your eating (especially carbs), put your body through intense workouts, see estheticians regularly, and if the doctor insists, take medication. What you may not know is that while these attempts may lessen and even fully hide your “flaws” they are not resolving the foundational need causing the body to send these messages in the first place. Your job most likely requires you to look flawless and to have boundless energy. Therefore you have to figure something out. I get it. I really do, but if you want to resolve these messages we have to dig deeper and not just manage.
The Common Cause
The cause of your PCOS label is most likely low hormone production, as a downstream effect of a blood sugar imbalance, caused by elevated cortisol, due to profound emotional trauma experienced as a child.
Wow, right? Now, I know you’re already in therapy or at least consider yourself self-aware… BUT if the symptoms are still manifesting in the body it means your body is still swimming in a pool of fear. Your cells do not feel safe. Just taking blood sugar medication like metformin or focusing on your diet is not going to resolve this. Your hormones are not going to regenerate and produce at healthy levels until your body feels safe. Hormone production is run by your brain (hypothalmus and pituitary) and it considers reproduction the caboose of your primal train. Your body will continue to put all its energy toward keeping you alive and safe over resolving many of your symptoms.
The Mêrfleur Wellness Approach
I feel we need to speak to the body at every level. We must start by supporting your body’s capacity to move through trauma by balancing your neurotransmitters and your stress management organs (think the hypothalamus/pituitary and adrenals). When your stress capacity expands you can utilize powerful tools like EMDR to release the trauma from your stored memory and body. I highly recommend my dear friend and colleague Janelle Nelson. I also love using vibration remedies like flower essences to ease the grief and other emotions that may come up during these therapies. It softens the whole experience!
Next, we rebuild your metabolism through evaluating and rebuilding the pulse of your thyroid gland, so the body is not on a roller coaster of energy every day. Your insulin receptors and glucose levels will begin to tune into this shift and make alterations as well, improving your blood sugar. Any remaining needs can be refined through slight nourishment adjustments to match your authentic nutrient needs.
Once your stress capacity expands, your trauma is disintegrating, your metabolism is firing and your energy is balanced, you may experience a reduction of some of the other symptoms I mentioned above. That brain fog can start to fade, your skin can begin to glow, overall inflammation can drop, and your weight authentically balances, even though all you’re doing is walking or yoga.
It’s at this stage that we can take a look at remaining or lingering messages. We evaluate toxin exposure and address any buildup of metals, mycotoxins or pathogens that have gathered while you were stuck in low capacity. It’s very normal for the drawbridge of your castle entrance to be lowered and the gate unlocked when your body is focused primarily on staying alive. It doesn’t have time to deal with outside issue it’s just trying to feed your brain and keep your heart pumping. It’s in these seasons of life (or perhaps your whole childhood and young adulthood) that you become susceptible to taking on toxins and microorganisms.
I use advanced lab testing to identify your current state. Once we’ve identified your unique situation we make a plan to clear and reset. Guessing at this level (or really any level) is not helpful. You’d be surprised how common it is. Some classics include starting a parasite cleanse or assuming it’s candida (fungal) or mycotoxins (mold toxins) without actually testing the body… if you do any form of eradication it must be guided by what’s truly present in your body. Please know that eradication of any kind can be harmful if it’s done unnecessarily or approached too generally.
After we’ve cleared and reset your body on all these levels, we sit back and wait, watching your menstrual cycle for 3 months. Why? We are giving your body a chance to show us what it can do with all the space and suport we just gave it! Another improtant tip - the body is brilliant. Often times it’s only stuck becuase its to-do list is too long and it’s overhwhelemed. When we check some of those items off the list, suddenly the body can speed up healing tremendously. All your efforts and investments compound over time, my friend.
If your body does not show promising signs of rebuilding itself, we bring in temporary hormonal support. We’ll do this until your body can ramp up production of its own healthy amounts of progesterones and estrogens alongside its (most often) healthy levels of testosterone. As a note: I rarely see elevated testosterone. This is very common for the typical PCOS presentation, but as you are not the standard, you may find that the imbalance of hormones actually originates from low levels of progesterones and estrogens. This can cause a false dominant presence of androgens (testosterone) in the body. It’s only ruling the scene and creating symptoms like excess hair because the counterbalancing hormones (progesterones and estrogens) are not robust enough to create equilibrium in the body.
Accuracy & Personalization are Key
All decisions at Mêrfleur are guided by your advanced lab testing, your personal health story, your astrological health map and syndromes and my intuition. There is no guessing and there is no unnecessary pushing or prodding. The goal, whether it’s PCOS or another label, is to get you back to your authentic state. We reset your default.
There’s Always Hope
I hope this has been encouraging and helpful! PCOS does not have to be your reality. You do not have to manage this forever. There are solutions. As a Natural Sensitive, even if you feel you’ve tried everything, I highly recommend you look at it from the perspective I gave above, it may shift your approach and give you the results you’ve been seeking.
Your childhood was intense and there may still yet be another level of unlocking to be found. Give your body the support it needs to go there and let’s see what you find. Here to guide, encourage and hold your hand if needed. Sending love, always.