Endo & Mental Health Inventory
Written By SHANNON CHAPMAN
As I learn more about managing the side effects of endo, I have become increasingly more aware that I often need to inventory my mental well-being. Living with a chronic pain condition often spills over into every other aspect of my life. Sometimes feeling like endometriosis is our identity. In the case of women that are attempting to conceive, the challenges of infertility associated with endo can be crushing. The emptiness of infertility is made even harder as Mother’s Day approaches.
I didn’t realize how fragile my emotional well-being was until my husband and I began trying to grow our family. What I originally thought was a few “off months” stretched into years of, agonizing, waiting. During that time I spiraled into anxiety and depression, blaming myself for my inability to bear children–hopelessness. When my endometriosis was diagnosed at the onset of the COVID pandemic, it felt like a weight was lifted from my shoulders. I explored online counseling and found some resolution. I stopped trying to rationalize my reproductive health issues. I allowed myself to heal. I sought out other women and organizations where I could glean real-life insights. After having our son I still take time to prioritize my well-being because postpartum depression is so often undiagnosed in black women.
The stigma associated with mental health presents its own challenges. The intersection of being a black woman, an endometriosis sufferer, and grappling with depression and infertility has been a lot. Finding resources both online and in-person to help has been a game-changer. For those with varying degrees of mental health concerns access to care is key! The oxygen mask analogy has never rang more true. We can only effectively help others once we have taken care of ourselves. With more available therapists, counselors, and psychiatrists than ever before, finding someone that can help you talk through whatever is weighing you down is a few clicks away. I hope that you’ll use this Mental Health Awareness Month to pour into yourself. Self-love is self-care.
