Lighten the Mental Load of Endometriosis

Like many chronic pain conditions, endo is invisible to the outside observer. “People with endometriosis often look fine, while dealing with a war zone inside their body,” explains Chavez. As much as you may feel tempted to keep this private issue totally to yourself, she recommends talking about your diagnosis and symptoms with your partner(s) and the people closest to you. “That way, they can be a part of your healing journey by coming to doctor appointments, helping out after surgery, or being there to support you during a bad flare-up and painful day,” she says.

不幸的是，对于不专注于子宫内膜异位症以最大程度地减少患者症状的医疗保健提供者而言，这并不少见。Heather Jeffcoat，物理疗法的医生和作者Sex Without Pain。确实，一个民意调查根据子宫内膜异位症的联盟，发现42％的子宫内膜异位症患者被医生完全拒绝，拒绝或完全忽略。查韦斯补充说：“这给提供者带来了巨大的损失，必须倡导您的健康状况。”如果听起来像您，请使用The American End of Endo Project Provider Directory或者iCare Better Expert Search在您附近找到子宫内膜异位症专家。

查韦斯说，穿透过程中的疼痛是子宫内膜异位症的症状之一，通常会使某人患有这种情况。因此，涉及内部振动器使用，性交和手指游戏的性行为都可以在阴道中产生刺激性和/或拉动感觉。查韦斯说，与其承受这种痛苦，不如与您的伴侣谈论替代途径，以使身体的限制不会干扰联系和亲密关系的节奏。”“确实，关于如何进行性连接的选择很多，而不是以渗透为重点。”真的！

您可能对生活中其他领域的鼓励进行鼓励的方式相同，请考虑量身定制咒语以帮助您接受亲密关系。“即使在渗透过程中疼痛之后，也可以通过骨盆底治疗甚至大麻- 对于子宫内膜异位症患者而言，由于过去的痛苦或性生活经历而害怕性行为，这很常见。”查韦斯说。为什么？她解释说，这是如此强大的思维体联系。每天重复一个愉悦的口头禅，例如“我应得的快乐”和“我有能力”，可以帮助您的身体相信愉快的体验可以触及。

“Because endo patients have had to advocate for themselves at every possible juncture, the endo community is a very strong and powerful one,” says Emily Sauer, founder of骨盆健身房，骨盆健康教育平台。如果您渴望亲自与他人互动，请搜索子宫内膜异位症on Meet-Up。Or keep an eye out for endometriosis-themed summits, workshops, and panels. Jeffcoat also recommends virtual support through social media such asNancy’s Nook Facebook Group。她说：“受欢迎的Facebook组是针对子宫内膜异位症的人们。”“它提供了患者资源，转介子内膜异位症切除专家以及其他经历同一事情的社区。”

“子宫内膜异位症影响了大约10％的女性，但几乎每个进入我办公室的女人真的感觉自己是世界上唯一的苦难人，”纽约市的产科医生艾里斯·奥布赫（Iris Orbuch）在子宫内膜异位症和合着者击败Endo。Jeffcoat说，阅读更多有关子宫内膜异位症的信息可以提醒您，您并不孤单。但是，如果回忆录更快，请阅读阴道问题by Lara Parker,问我关于子宫的事by Abby Norman, orWhat Doesn’t Kill You泰莎·米勒（Tessa Miller）。

Onereviewin行为医学年鉴found that mindfulness significantly reduced symptoms of depression and improved quality of life in those with chronic pain. “Regularly using a meditation app such asCalm或者engaging in a routine practice of deep, diaphragmatic breathing can both be helpful,” says Jeffcoat. Meditation may be especially key for people who are newly diagnosed and tend to be more sensitized to the pain, according to Dr. Orbuch. “We can downregulate patients' response to pain through breathwork and meditation,” she says. Her recommendation: Commit to每天冥想at the same time for six weeks.

查韦斯建议：“花时间在自然界中，在处理痛苦时可能会扎根和康复。”确实，户外行驶可能有能力降低您对疼痛的看法。最近的一项评论。And it doesn’t require getting to a secluded woodsy spot in order for nature to have this effect. It could also mean walking your dog, playing frisbee, or having an outdoor picnic. Actually,研究暗示，仅赤脚站立在泥土上可能对患有慢性疼痛或子宫内膜异位症（例如子宫内膜异位症）的人有益。

Navigating endometriosis is more than a matter of taking meds. That’s why having a few strategies to nourish your mental health can make all the difference in how well you cope. Step one: Make sure you are getting the support you need—from your doctor, your partner(s), your inner circle, even the larger endo warrior tribe. “Afterall, they can’t help you if they don’t know what you’re going through,” says Sauer. Then, use the expert tips here as needed to maintain a mindset that may even assuage some of the physical pain.