Insecurity
Endometriosis is a disease characterized by uncertainty on many levels. The first uncertainty arises when the first symptoms of endometriosis are detected. It often takes several years before finding out what is the cause of the pain problem. This can be a period of great uncertainty, with many women questioning what they are experiencing. Can it really be true?
The next uncertainty is about how the disease is expressed and treated. There is great variation in symptoms among women with endometriosis, which contributes to uncertainty about the disease and treatment. Treatment is often a trial-and-error approach. Every endometriosis treatment is individual, and it is uncertain whether the treatment will work as intended and for how long.
Then there is the uncertainty of the future. Will I be pain-free? Will I be able to have the children I want? Will I be able to hold down a job? These are just some of the questions many women with endometriosis ask themselves.
Loss of control
Suffering from endometriosis and chronic pain can very often be associated with a sense of loss of control. However, the feeling of being in control has been shown to have a significant impact on the experience of pain and the ability to cope with pain. It is not the actual control that affects the experience of pain, but the person's perceived control.
A sense of control over pain is associated with less discomfort, anxiety, and depression, and people who experience personal control over pain feel less helpless and have fewer catastrophic thoughts about pain.
It is not only psychologically that the experience of control matters. It is also biologically linked to the release of endorphins, which have a pain-relieving effect.
Therefore, you can focus on increasing your sense of control by taking control of the life circumstances and aspects of the disease and pain experience that you actually can control.
Knowing the cause of the pain
Knowing the cause of the pain is closely related to the experience of control and is extremely important for the person experiencing the pain, but also for those around them. Pain without a known physiological cause is often perceived as imaginary or unreal. This can lead to stigmatization and thus be a stressful factor for the person in pain.
People suffering from pain without a known physiological cause exhibit more mental health problems and higher levels of anxiety and depression than people suffering from pain with a known physiological cause.
Knowing the cause of the pain increases the feeling of control over the pain, as it is often perceived as a prerequisite for being able to take effective action to relieve the pain.
Being diagnosed with endometriosis is often experienced as a relief for most girls and women with the disease because they finally have an explanation for the pain and discomfort. It also helps to legitimize the pain, because now it is "okay" to be in pain because it can be explained.
