Skip to main content I was diagnosed with endometriosis (endo) in May 2021 after seven years of symptoms and going back and forth with several healthcare professionals. I expected my diagnosis to be revolutionary - I thought it would answer all my questions. It didn’t. I was still me, just with a label. And for many months after, that’s all I thought of myself as. A label. 1 in 10. I don’t think the mental health implications of endo are often discussed at length which is why I wanted to talk about how it affected mine. I’d never suffered from any significant mental health issues prior to my symptoms starting. However, as soon as I got my endo diagnosis, it all came flooding. The constant anxiety of having a flare-up in public, the loneliness, and isolation. I’ve never felt sadness like it. Suddenly, something that I thought was going to be revolutionary, was ultimately redundant. I have my family and friends to thank for pulling me out of my dark times, every time. Without fail and with patience.
Endo is something that a lot of us have to live with, and I am determined to not let something that is a part of me, be all that I am. I am so much more. I am a hard worker, a sister, daughter, girlfriend and best friend. I love my job and have so much to be grateful for. Once you start focusing on what you do have, the parts that you can’t control (like endo) don’t really seem to be as daunting.
I live by a motto ‘what is on the inside doesn’t always define you’ and I will carry that around with me for the rest of my life.
What is on the inside doesn’t always define you
Finding support through family and friends.