Psychological suffering in the diagnosis from endometriosis. Relief is possible

Endometriosis is a condition that comprehensively involves women’s health with often debilitating psychological and physical effects. It is a chronic disease in which endometrial-like tissue is found in abnormal locations (especially in the ovaries, tubes, uterus, uterosacral ligaments; limbs, lungs and in any organ of the body). In the face of diagnostic wandering and heavy drug treatments, challenged by difficulties in conceiving, patients often need to be listened to, then psychologically taken care of.

However, the moment the diagnosis of endometriosis is communicated, some women do not feel the need to see a therapist: prevailing is the sense of relief that they have finally found someone responsible for the physical pains they live with and the cause of their infertility. Yet, for the therapeutic procedures that will be proposed to treat the injuries they are suffering from, it is important to know that it is useful to try to reduce the stress level. The need to talk about the disease and its consequences may emerge at a later stage. In general, it is the feeling of having no more solutions that convinces people of the’usefulness of receiving psychological support.

This confirms, what many scientific studies show: emotions(anger, sadness…) can have consequences on the’origin of the disease and on the perception of pain, activating a psychological suffering of helplessness, melancholy, fear for the future, anguish that need a process of elaboration. Regardless of whether it is to receive support to deal with the pain, analyze the causes of the disease or talk about one&#8217s desire for motherhood, it can be useful to begin psychotherapy, as Jean-Michel Louka states in Cahiers du Syngof (National Syndicate of French Obstetricians-Gynecologists): at some point it happens that, the endometriosis of a patient undergoing psychotherapy subsides, the pains subside, the constant surgeries become unnecessary… and the long-awaited child arrives.