I have PCOS and trying to deal with depression without using antidepressants, any suggestions?

Which pill are you on? I have PCOS and I become depressed on high dose pills. Ortho Tri Cyclen made me depressed, and an interaction between my current pill and another medication did the same thing. Ortho Tri had a level of hormones that was too high for me, plus women with PCOS generally don't do well on triphasic pills (pills that have different levels of hormones each week). The medicine interaction caused the pill to release levels of hormones that were too high. So it could be the hormonal birth control that's causing your problems. You may want to talk to your doctor about going to a low dose pill (perhaps Yaz--it's a low dose version of Yasmin, which is recommended for PCOS), or perhaps going off hormonal contraception altogether and using another form of birth control. After all, hormonal birth control doesn't cure or even treat PCOS--it just relieves some of the symptoms and can help cysts from getting bigger. Many women find that their PCOS is actually caused by insulin resistance, and treating the insulin resistance with metformin can help more than the pill would because the pill just covers up your symptoms

When I was dealing with depression and anxiety, I took a herbal supplement called Total Calm. That seemed to help with the anxiety. If your diet is low in animal products, you may need supplemental B vitamins. B vitamin deficiency can contribute to depression. Chamomile tea seemed to have a bit of a calming effect for me, although I think it may have just been the psychological aspect of drinking tea that helped. St. John's Wort is commonly cited as being good for depression, but if you try that, you need to be aware that it can make the pill less effective. I never tried it because I didn't want to risk pregnancy.

You may benefit from talking to a counselor even if you are not interested in prescription medication. I met with a counselor and told him I was only interested in medication as a last resort (this was before I knew that my depression was caused by my medication). Talking about your problem and how to solve it can help you feel better. Good luck!

I found this link using the keyword "PCOS" using www.google.com

http://www.pcosupport.org/

I am not familiarized with that syndrome. But I think that generally for depression the best things to do are:

-SLEEPING well.

-Eating well.

-Physical exercises.

-Find hobbies, not just one.

-Don’t stay at home all the time, go out, with family or friends, peaceful nature landscapes maybe, beach, museums?

And I know that ironically antidepressants can cause depression and suicidal thoughts, I am not kidding. You show intelligence by trying to avoid medication if possible.

Also, don’t trust Doctors unconditionally, when money is involved...

Try asking this question in "womens health" or "Psicology"

I am sorry for your condition. I hope it helps. Take care.

Pcos Antidepressants