The Root Causes of PCOS
On my own journey, I often felt frustrated because doctors and even scientists could not clearly explain what actually causes PCOS. Science still cannot say with certainty whether PCOS is hormonal, metabolic, or genetic. I find this fascinating, but at the same time deeply upsetting, because our minds are wired to seek answers. Most of us want to know why is this happening to me? Can someone please explain it? Why does it feel like my body is working against me?
After a diagnosis, the explanation for why is often missing or feels incomplete. That leaves many women confused, overwhelmed, and still searching.
I consider myself lucky because at least I received some information about how my hormonal fluctuations were not functioning as they should. I learned that my brain was not regulating hormonal release properly, which raised even more questions. Does this mean PCOS is happening because something is wrong with my brain? Why would that be? Should I try to fix my brain in order to heal? Later I learned about the link between insulin resistance and PCOS. That piece finally gave me a real clue about where my symptoms might be coming from.
With what I know now, I can confidently say that understanding the root causes of your condition is one of the wisest first steps on your healing journey.
Why?
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Because knowing why you feel as if your body is working against you brings clarity to the confusion. You start to understand that your body is not failing you. It is communicating with you and showing you what it needs in order to function well.
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Understanding the cause also helps you sort through contradictory information on the internet. You stop following every piece of advice blindly in a desperate attempt to feel better. I remember clearly how vulnerable I felt when people tried to help but the advice sometimes made my symptoms worse. The truth is that many recommendations only work when you understand the bigger picture. This is especially true with diet advice. Some foods may be healthy in general, but they may not serve a body that is dealing with insulin resistance. Even scientifically supported claims can mislead you if you do not understand the context. When you understand what your body is dealing with, your choices become informed and they support the results you want.
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Most importantly, clarity reduces the noise and stress in your mind. Confusion does not support healing. You may be trying your best, but if you feel surrounded by fog, everything becomes harder. Knowledge clears that fog so you can move forward with confidence and peace.
Root Cause 1: Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is one of the core drivers of PCOS. When your cells stop responding properly to insulin, your pancreas produces more of it, which disrupts normal estrogen production and increases androgen levels. Understanding this link allows you to take actionable steps that directly improve your symptoms.
Being insulin resistant means your body’s cells do not respond properly to insulin, the hormone that moves sugar from your bloodstream into your cells. When this happens, your pancreas produces even more insulin to compensate, leading to high insulin levels that often do not work effectively. You may wonder how this affects your menstrual cycle. Ovaries respond to insulin by inhibiting estrogen production. All estrogens start as androgens. When insulin levels are too high, the conversion from androgens to estrogens does not happen at the necessary rate. Estrogen levels drop and androgen levels rise. Higher androgen levels lead to many common PCOS symptoms, including acne, irregular cycles, and excessive hair growth. Knowing this helps you follow recommendations for improving insulin sensitivity, which in turn can reduce your symptoms and restore hormonal balance.
Root Cause 2: Energetic Imbalance
The second root cause of PCOS is often overlooked and rarely mentioned in the PCOS community or by doctors. It is not about something in your body being “broken,” but about an energetic imbalance. Our bodies are made mostly of energy, and our thoughts and emotions influence how we feel physically.
Understanding this mind-body connection can reveal why PCOS develops and what your symptoms may be trying to communicate.
The second root cause of PCOS might be harder to grasp at first. Almost nobody in the PCOS community talks about this, and it is rarely discussed in doctor’s offices. When I discovered it, I felt a huge sense of relief because I finally understood why PCOS occurred and what lesson this illness was meant to teach me. Some of you may be wondering what I mean by a “lesson.” Let me explain. The second root cause of PCOS is not about broken processes in the body. It is an energetic cause. Most people are not aware that about 98% of our body mass is made of energy. Even though our bodies appear as solid matter, most of it is invisible to the human eye and made of energy. Our thoughts and emotions are also forms of energy, and it is crucial to understand the mind-body connection because what we think and feel directly affects our physical health. On my journey, I realized that I experienced PCOS symptoms partly because I was suppressing my feminine energy. This does not mean dresses or makeup, but rather beliefs and thought patterns, along with the suppressed emotions behind them, that were not serving me. For a long time, I was unaware of these patterns because they were subconscious. In fact, scientists estimate that 95% of our brain activity is subconscious, which explains why I didn’t recognize these patterns for so long. For example, I had unconsciously learned that being a woman was a disadvantage and that I had to prove my worth through achievement, productivity, and strength. I neglected qualities inherent to female nature and suppressed my natural rhythms. This created an energetic imbalance that manifested as PCOS symptoms, leaving me feeling disconnected and out of sync with myself. This insight brings a deeper understanding of healing, which I call healing from the inside out. When we courageously examine our subconscious thoughts, beliefs, and emotions, we can improve our health in a lasting way. True healing comes not only from easing symptoms but also from feeling more connected to ourselves. When we are mentally and emotionally well, our bodies no longer need to send signals urging us to address our inner world.