Introduction to thoughts and emotions
It is only natural if your thoughts and feelings become more negative as a result of living with pain and endometriosis. Both feelings of hopelessness and helplessness or lack of control can be the consequence of being locked up in a pain prison. You may worry about whether your friendships can stand it - and what about intimate relationships or the possibility of finding a partner? Will you be able to maintain or get back into work or education? Maybe you worry about what to do with your life if it continues like this - or you worry about the disease progressing.
You may also find that your thoughts have started to run away. More and more often you catch yourself letting your worries roll on and suddenly you find yourself in a black hole where your mood is at an all-time low. At the same time, you may find it harder to concentrate or you sleep less well.
Studies show that women with endometriosis who experience pain score higher on anxiety and depression than women in general. This is because many feel unable to cope or tolerate the pain, which leaves them feeling angry, unhappy, and sad, leading to feelings of helplessness, isolation, or worthlessness. This in turn increases the risk of developing depression and there may also be feelings of shame or guilt. Many women find it difficult to talk about the condition with others as they often feel distrusted, which can lead to feelings of loneliness.
This week, we will use specific mindfulness exercises to work with the difficult thoughts and feelings that can come with endometriosis. The aim is to make it easier for you to let go of thoughts and feelings, i.e. "let them be".
It may sound strange that you need to learn to let go of your thoughts and feelings when what you probably want most of all is to get rid of them completely. We will elaborate on this when we get to managing thoughts and emotions. First, we will go through some of the difficult thoughts and feelings that can be associated with endometriosis.
