Ways to Deal With Unsolicited Medical Advice for PCOS Sufferers

Highlights

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a painful disease that affects millions of women.

Sufferers of this condition often have to deal with unsolicited medical advice from other people and health tips that don’t even work.

This article explores the different ways that PCOS sufferers can handle these uninvited opinions and tips.

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Suffering from PCOS can be hard on women. Everywhere you go, you’re bound to get unwanted advice and it is incredibly frustrating to have other people offer advice. And while some people might try to offer Unsolicited Medical Advice for PCOS, oftentimes this advice isn’t helpful and might even make the problem worse.

Polycystic ovary syndrome is a hormonal disorder that can cause irregular periods, obesity, and acne. PCOS has been compared to diabetes in terms of how difficult it is to treat because the disorder can affect many aspects of an individual’s life. One way that PCOS sufferers deal with unsolicited medical advice is by doing research and educating themselves on what does and doesn’t work for them personally.

This article will discuss ways to deal with such individuals and tips so that you can continue to live your life in peace.

Things to have patience for

If you have PCOS, you know that there is a lot of unsolicited medical advice out there. You may feel like people think you’re not making the best choices for your health and yet, no one has diagnosed PCOS as your problem. That’s why it’s important to have patience with those who try to offer some helpful hints and support without proper knowledge of the disorder.

Block out the noise of other people’s advice

When you have a disease like PCOS, it can be hard to filter out the noise of other people’s opinions about what treatment will work for you. If you want to make sure that you are doing what is right for your body, figure out what you want from your doctor and do your own research on the subject. When you are armed with the information, it becomes easier to effectively communicate with your doctor.

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Take charge instead of being passive

Whether it’s family, friends, coworkers, acquaintances, or strangers who offer unsolicited medical advice for PCOS sufferers, the best tactic is to take charge instead of being passive.

You can try redirecting the conversation back to your original topic, politely letting them know that you’re not interested in their suggestion, and/or trying to be more assertive in your refusal.

If you just can’t shake this person, try smiling and saying something like “You’re very kind to offer your advice, [insert name], but I’m not interested in that. Thanks for understanding!” or “You’re very kind to offer your advice, [insert name], but I try to keep my diet healthy.” and then make an excuse to leave.

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In general, try to be as polite as possible in your refusal. If you find yourself getting frustrated or wanting to snap at someone, take a deep breath and count to ten before you speak.

Remember that the people who approach you about your diet are not necessarily trying to offend you; they are just looking out for your health and well-being. They may have good intentions, but you still have every right to refuse their advice politely.

If someone you know, work with, or are friends with tries to influence your decision and tries to persuade you to eat food that you have decided not to consume, it might be time for a new friend.

It’s okay if your friends want to help you change your lifestyle, but it isn’t right of them to try and pressure you into eating a particular food. If they are trying to pressure you, it is time to show them that you don’t appreciate their help.

Remember you are in charge of your life

As a PCOS sufferer, you’re well aware that the disorder is very different from one woman to another. It’s important to use your own judgement as it applies to you and your treatment. You can’t worry about what other people think or say about you. It’s important to remember that even though it may be difficult, you are always in control of your life and how you live it.

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Be non-reactive about it

The best way to handle unsolicited medical advice is by reacting in a non-emotional way. If the person is someone you know, it’s good to be polite but you can’t take their word as law. If it’s not someone you know, just ignore them and move on with your day.

Have you ever experienced a situation like this with Unsolicited Medical Advice for PCOS? What did you do? Leave a comment below.

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More than seven decades of independence and my coursemate still look for permissions to step out of home — my maid has to ask her husband every year if she can get their daughter in the next grade — my colleague seeks her husband’s permission whenever she wants to wear a dress (say a little revealing clothes in his word) — and my neighbour mostly stay at home because sharif ladkiyaan zyada nahi ghumti!

15th August — whenever I think of this day — a part of me feels like trodden off!

We, women, have got accustomed to this modern feminine patriarchy so much that we seek validations — we seek acknowledgements and acceptance to our deeds — so much that we have almost forgotten that we are no less than men in society. We are creators and not just some sort of labels.

Before the urban feministas lash out on me saying how we have evolved and grown over time — and how we are leading the nation flawlessly; let’s clear that in a population of 1.3 billion people, only approximately 48% are women.

Out of 497 million women, only close to 65% of women are literate. Oh, is that pretty high?

An ActionAid UK report found that ’80 % of women in India had experienced sexual harassment ranging from unwanted comments, being groped or assaulted.’ Now that would be pretty low for you? Ain’t it?

While Wikipedia has tried its best to glorify the improved numbers of the different aspects of conditions of women in India, my question is why we are content with such numbers? Why are we satisfied with small inclinations in numbers and not really fighting for it?

Whenever I think of this, I presume that it’s us, the women, who are somehow responsible for this condition of ours. We have been conditioned to think, behave and act in a certain way for generations, and now the whole act of unlearning is taking a toll on us as well as the society.

Have you been to smaller towns and villages? Or stayed there for long periods? From prioritising their husband’s needs over their own, these women are conditioned to live like this — by giving up on their dreams and their fate. And while me or you are fighting, struggling and working hard to fulfil our desires, these women are not. Well, they cannot. Brutal but honest!

Our generation old customs have trained us to live in a particular way. We have forgotten to celebrate our small achievements and credit our success. In a country where more than half of the male population marry only to get a full time unpaid maid for his family, are we really eligible to say that we are independent? Technically yes, but practically no!

And the irony is while such men love to be ‘retrospective progressive’, these are the ones who find it hard to digest foregoing women in their family or society.

While more women are going to college, fewer are working. In fact they are performing nearly ten times the unpaid care work as men. And while I am typing this leisurely from my room, a lot of girls are slogging off somewhere in the farm, mines, pond, house etc. in the scorching heat.

And by now, I’m assuming a lot of men would already be cursing me for writing this, but it’s high time to accept this fact — that women are suppressed in our nation, brutally. And please, no need to compare it with other nations. While I genuinely support women around the world, I’m more concerned about our bhartiya naari at this point in time.

From gender pay gap to child marriage, acid attack, domestic violence, dowry, foeticide, rape and sexual harassments, trafficking, accusations of witchcraft and what not — we are facing it all, and we need a break!

The women of our country need their independence, and I don’t know how long we will have to wait or fight for it. We are yet to get that 15th August of ours which we can celebrate wholeheartedly without a pinch of dejection in the heart.

Disclaimer: The views expressed in the article above are those of the authors’ and do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of this publishing house. Unless otherwise noted, the author is writing in his/her personal capacity. They are not intended and should not be thought to represent official ideas, attitudes, or policies of any agency or institution.