FEELINGS AND EMOTIONS EXPERIENCED WITH ENDOMETRIOSIS: GUILT AND DEPRESSION
Guilt
Many women complain about feeling guilty or that they are made to feel guilty about why they developed the disease. Some may even feel that it is a type of punishment that they alone must endure.
For years endometriosis was tagged the ‘career woman’s disease’. This was based on the unfounded idea that women who delay having children are more at risk of developing endometriosis. Women are made to feel guilty that delaying marriage and having children until after they have established a career has been the cause. You ask yourself if you had started your family earlier would you have developed the disease. Would infertility have been a problem?
What must be remembered is that it is not known if delaying childbirth has any connection with the development of endometriosis. Also remember that many women actually get endometriosis after they have had children.
Other women complain that they feel guilty because they may not have been assertive enough in getting a diagnosis. Having been told by one doctor that nothing was wrong they simply suffered in silence and put up with their pain and symptoms.
Sometimes the assumption is made that stress causes the disease. This may make some women think that if they did not have such a stressful job, did not work so hard or didn’t have a difficult family life, they may not have developed the disease.
It does appear that the symptoms of endometriosis may be aggravated when a person is suffering from stress, but it does not mean that it actually develops because of stress.
Women may feel guilty because they cannot cope in certain situations whereas others cope well.
For those who have had an abortion, used contraception such as the Pill or an IUD, used tampons or had sexual intercourse at an early age, there can be the mistaken belief that this has contributed to them getting the disease.
Depression
Most endometriosis sufferers have felt depressed at some stage for one reason or another. Suddenly you have to come to terms with having a chronic illness. There is the constant tiredness and the frustration of feeling lethargic. Sexual relations are put under enormous stress if you suffer pain during intercourse. Pain may also interrupt your lifestyle.
Treatment may not be effective and you worry about what alternatives you may be faced with. So many of your questions seem to go unanswered and at times you really feel as though you are unable to get on with your life.
For those who have fertility problems there is the concern that perhaps you may never have a child. And if you are lucky enough to get pregnant will you miscarry? Will the disease hinder a normal delivery?
Many of us become depressed thinking about the future management of the disease. Will you be faced with more hormone treatment? Will you require more surgery?
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Tags: Women’s Health