It's all about the PCOS support groups!
- Meg Clifford
- Sep 3, 2020
- 3 min read
Updated: Dec 8, 2020
September is PCOS awareness month and I have set myself the challenge of raising as much awareness this month as I possibly can. For me, this will be through uploading 1 informative piece of content to my blog every day and 1 video to raise awareness of PCOS on TikTok. PCOS stands for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome and it affects 1 in 10 women around the world. A great starting point in understanding the syndrome is to read all about what Polycystic Ovary Syndrome is exactly.
Like many women, when I was first diagnosed I was completely lost, so awareness is so important! I’ve been documenting my PCOS journey for the past few months as I’m learning to better manage the condition. It's taken me over a year but I have learnt so much from the support groups and online PCOS communities that I am apart of.
Finding these resources and groups has been a gradual process. So, to save you having to look for them all yourself, I have put together a list of the support groups I am a member of and have found helpful.
Here is a list of fantastic resources that I have found very helpful:
Support Groups and organisations:
PCOS Support UK (this is a great group on Facebook, the best one I have found and I've been in quite a few of them over the past year...)
PCOS Challenge (this is an online support group that has its own platform)
PCOS Nutrition Center (they sell products on their website but their blog posts are very insightful)
Sobergirlsociety (I have found cutting out alcohol has been so helpful in managing my PCOS. This group has been great for positivity on my newsfeed and their resources are fantastic!)
Influencers
The Women's Dietitian (the free factsheet is helpful and I love her infographics as they are easy to understand!)
Dr Anna PharmD (her Instagram is full of great tips)
The.PCOS.nutritionist (again her Instagram is a great place to see helpful food and PCOS management tips)
SoberJo - Not PCOS but Jo has been on a sober journey and is blogging her way through her new sober lifestyle. I find these posts really interesting because as I mentioned above, I try to avoid alcohol for my PCOS)
The Hormone Dietitian (food, lifestyle and hormone tips for PCOS)
Finding the right support group
There are a lot of 'PCOS support groups' on Facebook, some are good and others not. As mentioned above my favourite one is PCOS Support UK. I have left most of the other groups for a variety of reasons, as an example, I joined one that was mostly for women in America and I found the discussion to be less relevant to me.
To start with, join 5 - 10 groups. Don't join so many that you feel overwhelmed but join a few so that you can get a feel for which one is right for you. Once you are a member, actively contribute to the group. Answer questions from other members and ask questions yourself. It's a great place to learn from other women who have the same syndrome as you.
The online world is a scary place; if you are joining a Facebook group, stay safe online and don't share any information that you are not comfortable with being in the public domain.
Finally, let me know if you find any groups that are great! I'm always on the lookout for new platforms to learn and understand PCOS better.
Thank you to everyone supporting and following my PCOS journey; I'm aiming to raise awareness of Polycystic Ovary Syndrome which has had a big impact on my life. I post daily videos on my TikTok and a weekly on my Youtube channel if you would like to follow along!
You can also find me on social media:
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