In the midst of several different holiday celebrations, people with endometriosis can often struggle to balance activities and symptoms. Grogan, Turley, and Cole (2018) interviewed people with endometriosis and they noted that:
“Participants spoke about their lives being a constant struggle, where they tried to maintain their personal and working lives whilst dealing with long-term pain. Women had to ‘battle’ for an accurate diagnosis, and had limited faith in health professionals. Coping strategies included avoidance of social events to conserve energy (self-pacing), and avoiding taking painkillers to retain alertness. Women did not feel able to be honest with family and friends about their symptoms, and felt socially isolated and misunderstood.” The researchers noted that “so many women suffer in silence”.
In the midst of busyness, take time to care for yourself and enjoy what matters to you most.
Reference
Grogan, S., Turley, E., & Cole, J. (2018). ‘So many women suffer in silence’: a thematic analysis of women’s written accounts of coping with endometriosis. Psychology & health, 33(11), 1364-1378. Retireved from https://doi.org/10.1080/08870446.2018.1496252