When you are diagnosed with endometriosis, there is so much to learn and understand. You need to understand what your body is going through and how this chronic illness affects every area of your life.
One thing that many people don’t realize is the importance of therapy when dealing with a chronic illness like endo.
Why you need therapy when you are diagnosed with endometriosis
You may be surprised to learn that therapy is an important part of dealing with endometriosis.
As you know, endometriosis is a chronic illness. Many women struggle with the stress and uncertainty that come along with living with a chronic disease like endo, as well as its symptoms. Therapy can help you work through these feelings so that you can better cope with your condition.
Therapy also helps women who have been diagnosed with endometriosis find support networks and understand how their diagnosis affects them mentally and emotionally. This gives them the tools they need to deal with the challenges they face on a daily basis while living their best lives despite having this condition.
Download our 12-page free endometriosis self-care tracker down below:
What you should know about endometriosis and therapy
It is important to understand that endometriosis is a chronic illness, not a disease. You might have heard of other illnesses like diabetes or hypertension; these are diseases that sometimes go away without treatment, but endometriosis is not like those diseases. Endometriosis will not go away without treatment and it will definitely get worse if you don’t treat it properly.
Endometriosis isn’t a mental illness either! Sometimes people with endo find themselves struggling with anxiety or depression due to their symptoms, but just because you feel sad doesn’t mean your condition has gotten worse or that there’s something wrong with your brain (even though feeling sad about having chronic pain sucks).
The importance of therapy for your chronic illness
The first thing that therapy can do for you is help you express your feelings. Endometriosis can cause a lot of stress and anxiety, and having someone to vent to can help relieve some of that stress. Even if you just need an outlet to talk about your struggles, therapy is a great place to start. Therapy also helps with mental health issues like depression and anxiety. The more time you spend in therapy, the more comfortable talking about these emotions will become for you.
By working on physical health issues like pain management or digestion issues, therapists can provide insight into symptoms that aren’t directly related to endo but still impact quality of life (QOL). This might include knowing how best to manage menstrual cramps or digestive problems so they don’t become worse when they combine with endometriosis symptoms later in the month or week—something many people struggling with this illness don’t realize until it happens!
Therapy can also help with spiritual health by providing support through religious faith communities as well as secular groups or classes such as yoga sessions where members learn how better cope together while experiencing similar struggles every day life brings us all along our journeys…
Depression and chronic illness and endometriosis
Depression is a common side effect of birth control pills, and many doctors recommend that women with endometriosis avoid the pill. But sometimes, if you’re not up for a laparoscopy, it’s your only option to calm down the Endo growth. If you’re not using hormonal birth control, there are other options available to help regulate your periods and ease symptoms. These include:
- The Depo-Provera shot—An injection given every three months to prevent pregnancy.
- Levonorgestrel intrauterine system (LNG-IUS)—A small device placed in your womb that releases hormones over five years to prevent pregnancy.
- Copper intrauterine device (CuT 380A)—A small device placed inside the womb that contains copper and can be used for up to ten years if needed.
If you aren’t looking for a long-term method of contraception at this time, there are other things that you can do to manage your symptoms in a holistic way.
Depression side effect of the pill
Another side effect of the pill is depression. It’s a common misconception that the pill causes depression, but in fact it can be a reaction to the mood swing and changes in hormone levels caused by using the birth control pill.
Some people may experience symptoms of depression as soon as they start taking their first pill pack, while others might not notice them until later on when they’ve been using it for longer periods of time.
If you’re worried about your mental health, speak with your doctor about this issue so that together you can make an informed decision about what method of contraception will be best for you and your body.
How to keep your mindset happy with a chronic illness
Therapy can be a great way to learn more about your illness and find ways to cope with it. It is important to choose a therapist who is a fit for you, as this will help you feel comfortable opening up and getting the most out of therapy sessions. If you haven’t tried therapy before but have always been interested in it, try meeting with someone one-on-one for just one session first. This way, if you don’t feel like this is right for you, then there’s no need to continue going!
If therapy is something that sounds good but maybe seems intimidating or overwhelming at first glance (or even second glance), don’t let that stop you from trying something new! Try thinking back on times when you wanted something but didn’t know how or where to start until someone helped guide the way—I bet those were some really happy moments! You deserve happiness just like everyone else too!
Download our 12-page free endometriosis self-care tracker down below:
How to find a therapist for your specific needs
If you’re wondering how to find a therapist who can help with your specific needs, there are a few ways that I recommend.
- Look for someone who specializes in chronic illness or post-traumatic stress. If you have been diagnosed with an illness and are working through the challenges that come along with it, then finding a therapist who understands what this means will make all the difference in the world.
- Ask your doctor for recommendations. If you’re currently seeing your doctor regularly, they should be able to give you some direction on where to go next if they don’t offer therapy themselves.
- Do some research online! There is no shortage of websites out there dedicated specifically toward helping people with chronic medical conditions find therapists who understand their challenges and symptoms (and work within their budgets). Just remember: not every counselor out there specializes in endometriosis specifically—be sure to do some digging before making an appointment so that you aren’t disappointed later on down the road when things aren’t working as well as hoped for!
Conclusion
If you have been diagnosed with endometriosis, it’s important that you seek professional help. The best way to do this is by speaking to your doctor and asking them for a referral. They can also refer you directly to a therapist who specializes in working with chronic illness. If that doesn’t work for some reason, we recommend doing an internet search for therapists in your area who specialize in helping people cope with endo-related depression or anxiety.