Control Endometriosis And Overcome Depression
You can't run from your life forever. And depression and endometriosis are two of the biggest parts of your life. Both are manageable, but it takes commitment and patience. Here are some ways to help you with both:
-The more exercise you do, the better - even 10 minutes a day is enough to help regulate moods.
-Keep a regular sleep schedule - going to bed and waking up at the same time every day helps regulate hormones that have been changed by stress or anxiety.
-Quit smoking - nicotine worsens joint pain, as well as making it feel harder for you to breathe deeply because it constricts blood vessels in your lungs.
-Relieve stress - there's a difference between being hyper-focused on your work and being stressed in an unhealthy manner.
Even if you're down, try not to isolate yourself from the world. If you don't feel like doing anything, but are otherwise healthy, make plans with friends or family that you would normally see anyway. Force yourself to leave your house and go on a walk or run around the block. Even if you don't feel like it, force yourself to socialize with people you enjoy being with. Try not to withdraw completely from the world just because it doesn't seem to be treating you right right now.
There are two things people can do to help alleviate the symptoms of depression and endometriosis: Yoga and supplements. Both are great, but let's talk about the supplements first.
Everyone is different, but most people with endometriosis can take a healthy dose of vitamin D. Many doctors will even prescribe a supplement for you. For example, if you have endometriosis, there is a supplement called "DHEA". The dosage is different for all people, but as a general rule it's something like this: 200-400 IU-2000 IU. You'll need to specifically check with your doctor before taking it though. I also recommend vitamin D and magnesium, as well as fish oil. Magnesium is linked to mood stabilization, as well as improving the quality of sleep. Fish oil is good for the skin, but that's not exactly our interest here.
When it comes to yoga, you should do gentle yoga with breathing exercises that focus on mindfulness. This will help you become more aware of your body and mind, so be sure not to push yourself any further than you can handle. The best thing about yoga is that you don't need a teacher or anyone else around at all! Yoga is something you can even do by yourself in your bedroom if you feel comfortable enough doing it alone.
Now let's talk about depression and endometriosis. If a person is depressed, yoga can help them meditate and calm down. It's not an instant fix for everyone, but it is something you can do for yourself to help control your moods. Sometimes all you need to do is just get out of bed in the morning and start moving your body again. This can make a world of difference when dealing with depression and endometriosis, because it helps reduce the weight of "mental load" that comes with stress. If you're not sure how to start, just do some 10-minute exercise without any pressure. Once you get into the practice of doing it every day, it will be easier for you to do more.
One of the most important things to remember is that there are things out of your control. You can't control other people and their behaviors, so don't get angry or frustrated because they aren't living up to your expectations. Try not to blame yourself either, because it's not your fault that endometriosis was discovered in the first place or that you are experiencing symptoms right now. Things happen for a reason, even if you can't always see the reason. Just look at it as something that needs to be overcome and try to think of it as a challenge, instead of something that is completely out of your control. Successful people have overcome challenges just like this one, so you can do it too.
The point about taking control of your life and hormones is important for both depression and endometriosis. The more stressed you are, the harder it will be to control your symptoms - so don't make things harder on yourself by trying to isolate yourself from people or things outside your body (like life). It also doesn't help to stress yourself out with the pressure of low expectations and failure. If you have a negative outlook on things, that will only make it more difficult for you to be happy.
Knowing the difference between what's in your control and what isn't is really important. This can help you feel a little bit better when those symptoms are acting up, even if they're not visible. You just need to focus on the good things you can do, regardless of whether or not something is happening negatively at certain times or in certain places. Stress always comes from asking too much of yourself, but another part is about knowing how to overcome it when things get tough - this is where learning how to control your hormones comes into play. You can't control everything, but you can control your reaction to what's happening.
This article was based on the following paper:
"The relationship between endometriosis and depression: a systematic review." By T.E. Petersen, A.V. Collins, C.L. Duncan and R.A. Brooks "Journal of Psychosomatic Obstetrics & Gynaecology 2009;30(1):13−22."
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23085191 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25392211 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21694426
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23051377 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24496468 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25357543
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19623527
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2909566/#!po=5.21 https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.
Conclusion
It's very important to remember that you're not alone when it comes to dealing with depression and endometriosis. There is a large population of women who are much worse off than you are, and there are services available for you if you need them. The important thing to remember is that after everything is said and done, you're still pretty normal in the grand scheme of things. Don't let your treatment cause you to become a hermit, because all of the suffering will add up eventually.
You just need to make sure that it does not affect your ability to live a full life.