Self Trust Blog

One of the most common experiences for women with endometriosis is not being taken seriously.  You may have been told your pain is “normal,” felt dismissed by medical professionals or struggled to explain what you’re going through to others.  If this has happened to you, it can leave a lasting emotional impact and it makes sense that it would. Why Endometriosis Is Often Dismissed Endometriosis is still widely misunderstood.  Many women face: Long delays in diagnosis Lack of awareness from healthcare providers Symptoms being minimised or overlooked This can create a pattern where your experience is questioned or not fully acknowledged. The Emotional Impact of Not Being Heard Being dismissed doesn’t just feel frustrating, it can affect how you relate to yourself. It even impacts your self trust. As time goes on, things can become tiring and exhausting and yo u might start to notice that you: Questioning your own experience Feeling frustrated or angry Holding things in rathe...

Living with endometriosis impacts far more than your physical health.  It can affect how you connect with others, how you communicate your needs and how safe or understood you feel within your relationships.  If you’ve noticed changes in your relationships since living with endometriosis, you’re not alone and there are very real reasons why this happens. How Endometriosis Impacts Relationships Endometriosis can bring ongoing pain, fatigue and unpredictability. Over time, this can affect how you show up in relationships. You might find: You're cancelling plans due to flare-ups (great if you're an introvert, not so much if you're a social butterfly!) Feeling misunderstood or not fully heard Struggling to explain what you’re going through Withdrawing to protect your energy Even in supportive relationships and friendships, this can still create distance or tension. The Impact on Intimacy Endometriosis can also affect physical and emotional intimacy. Pain, discomfort, bleeding...

Living with endometriosis isn’t just a physical experience.  It can affect how you feel emotionally, how you see yourself and how you connect and relate to the world around you. Many women, both diagnosed and undiagnosed, find themselves feeling overwhelmed, anxious, low or disconnected, but are often unsure why. If this is something you’re experiencing, just know you’re not alone. There are very real reasons why endometriosis can have such a strong impact on your mental health. The Emotional Impact of Living with Endometriosis Endometriosis is a full body disease. A chronic condition which can bring continuous pain, fatigue and uncertainty. But alongside the physical symptoms, there is often a quieter emotional layer which doesn't get spoken about enough: You feel emotionally and mentally exhausted from managing symptoms day to day You're grieving changes to your body or lifestyle You feel isolated or misunderstood by others You struggle with uncertainty about the f...

If relationships feel emotionally intense, confusing or unstable, attachment patterns may be influencing how you connect with others. Many people find themselves caught between longing for closeness and feeling overwhelmed by it. Anxious attachment can show up as fear of abandonment, overthinking or needing constant reassurance. Avoidant attachment may look like emotional withdrawal, difficulty trusting others or feeling suffocated by intimacy. Some people experience both patterns, often referred to as fearful-avoidant attachment. These responses are not flaws or personality traits. They are adaptive strategies that developed early in life to maintain emotional safety. While they once served a purpose, they can cause distress in adult relationships. When attachment patterns are activated, the nervous system can move quickly into threat mode. This can make communication difficult, amplify emotional reactions and create cycles of closeness and distance that feel exhausting. Therapy offer...

Burnout is often described as exhaustion, but for many women it goes far deeper than feeling tired. It can leave you feeling disconnected from yourself, unsure of who you are and questioning how you ended up feeling so depleted. Professional women experiencing burnout often say things like,  “I don’t recognise myself anymore,”  or  “I used to cope so well, what’s wrong with me now?”  These thoughts can bring shame, fear and a sense that something has fundamentally broken. Burnout tends to develop gradually, particularly in people who are conscientious, empathetic and used to managing responsibility. Over time, chronic stress keeps the nervous system in a heightened state, making rest feel unsafe and self-worth feel dependent on productivity or achievement. As burnout deepens, identity often becomes entangled with performance. When you can no longer function at the same pace, it can feel like you’ve lost your sense of purpose or value. This is not a personal failure. ...

Living with endometriosis or fibroids often means living with pain that is misunderstood, minimised or dismissed. For many women, the physical symptoms are only part of the experience. Over time, chronic pelvic pain can affect emotional wellbeing, self-esteem, relationships and the way you relate to your body. You may have been told that your pain is “normal,” that it’s something you should simply learn to live with or that you're overreacting. These experiences can be deeply invalidating. When pain is repeatedly dismissed, by medical professionals, employers, partners or even family, it can lead to self-doubt, anxiety, low mood and a growing sense of disconnection from yourself. Many women with endometriosis or fibroids describe feeling betrayed by their bodies, grieving the loss of how life used to be or struggling to trust their own experiences. This emotional toll is real and understandable. Chronic pain doesn't just affect the physical, mental and emotional, it also impact...