Endometriosis

Endometriosis affects roughly 1 in 10 women and people assigned female at birth, though it can occur in others as well, and it takes an average of 10 years to get diagnosed. Endometriosis is a systemic inflammatory disease that affects the whole body. Lesions that have their own nerves, produce estrogen, and can grow anywhere in the body, causing severe pain and organ dysfunction. Despite how common it is, it remains one of the most under-researched and misunderstood diseases affecting women.

Because of this, many people spend years searching for answers. They are told their pain is normal, that birth control will heal their disease, or that nothing is wrong. Many go through countless appointments, procedures, treatments, and surgeries before receiving appropriate care.

As someone who has personally navigated endometriosis, this work is deeply personal to me.

I know what it feels like to live with pain and illness that impacts every area of your life, to question the reality of your pain and illness because doctors are dismissing it, and to spend years searching for answers. I also know how isolating it can be when the people around you don't fully understand what you're carrying.

Trauma and Endometriosis

While the cause of endometriosis involves a combination of genetic, hormonal, and environmental factors, research has found that people who have experienced childhood or adolescent sexual abuse have a 49% to 79% higher risk of developing endometriosis. While not all people who have endometriosis have experienced sexual abuse, I believe this highlights an important reality: the effects of trauma are not isolated to our minds. Our nervous systems, immune systems, endocrine systems, and physical health are deeply interconnected.

While histories of trauma are more common among people with endometriosis, living with this disease is also often an ongoing trauma, taking a major toll on the nervous system’s ability to regulate, often leaving people living in high levels of functional freeze.

Nervous system regulation is an important part of healing. The body has an incredible capacity to repair and recover when it is able to access states of safety and regulation. The immune system, hormonal system, digestion, sleep, tissue repair, and recovery all function differently when the body is no longer stuck in dysregulation.

While nervous system regulation is an important part of healing, endometriosis is not caused entirely by a dysregulated nervous system, and nervous system work alone will not cure it.

Surgery is traumatic

Excision surgery is the gold standard treatment for endometriosis. It is also often a highly traumatic event for the nervous system. While the lead-up can cause stress, the surgical event itself often triggers an overwhelming threat response, leaving the nervous system in a state of dysregulation. Since the nervous, immune, and endocrine systems are interconnected, this dysregulation can not only cause the often debilitating symptoms of PTSD, but also further impact inflammation and hormonal balance; factors that influence endometriosis. Somatic Experiencing during recovery helps the nervous system release stored trauma and reestablish safety. This process supports healthier communication between these systems, aiding long-term healing and helping support remission from endometriosis and PTSD.

Lifestyle changes are often not enough, and it’s not your fault

In my experience, many people are encouraged to focus on stress reduction, mindset, supplements, yoga, diets, or lifestyle changes while a progressive disease continues to grow unchecked. While these changes can be somewhat helpful, they are often difficult to impossible to implement while someone is living with the debilitating impacts of this illness. Many people struggle with blaming themselves for their illness when they are unable to stay on top of rigid and restrictive lifestyle changes that they are often told will cure them.

Even when someone has the capacity to change their lifestyle and diet, it often does not make a significant change on its own and leaves many people feeling like they must be doing something wrong when they are actually not getting the true medical support they need. For many, healing cannot truly begin until they have access to a skilled excision surgeon and a knowledgeable medical team. Unfortunately, many people spend years being told to manage their symptoms while the disease itself continues to progress.

Supportive therapies can be majorly beneficial, such as physical therapy, acupuncture, abdominal massage, nutrition protocols, and supplement therapies. But people need to have access to informed providers and the interventions need to be appropriately timed. For example, excision surgery is needed to remove a lesion blocking your colon before diet and nutrition could be supportive. Many women don’t know what level of intervention they need and continue to endure severe levels of illness while wondering why the supportive therapies aren’t able to make any meaningful change.

In my experience, healing and managing endometriosis rarely comes from one thing. It often requires a team of support and consistent interventions. And that starts with being believed, which is sadly an uncommon experience among people with endometriosis.

My goal is to offer the education I wish I had when I first started having symptoms, and to create a space where the physical realities of endometriosis are taken seriously while also supporting the emotional, relational, and nervous system impacts of living with this chronic illness.

Endometriosis Consultations, Community Support & Referrals

In addition to somatic experiencing, I offer educational consultations for people navigating endometriosis and the often overwhelming process of finding accurate information and appropriate care. I am not a medical provider; I provide education for people to better understand their condition, advocate for themselves, and connect with providers who are truly knowledgeable about the conditions they are treating.

I also facilitate support groups for people living with endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain. One of the hardest parts of living with chronic illness can be feeling alone in it. Community matters, and there is something powerful about being in a room with people who genuinely understand what you're going through.

I have and continue to build relationships with trusted providers and practitioners. I maintain a growing referral network that includes excision surgeons, pelvic floor physical therapists, physicians, acupuncturists, bodyworkers, nutrition professionals, and other specialists.

My hope is not only to support people in our work together, but to help them cultivate agency through education and to help them develop a strong team of competent providers to support their healing. No one should have to navigate a complex illness alone.