Your Pain Is Real: The Overlooked Mental Health Impact of Endometriosis
Warning: This article discusses topics related to mental health, self-harm, and suicide. If you or someone you love is in crisis, please call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, or visit 988lifeline.org. You are not alone, and help is available.
When Pain Goes Unseen — and Undervalued
Endometriosis is more than just a physical disease. It infiltrates every part of life: your plans, your career, your relationships — and yes, your mental health.
And yet, mental health remains one of the most overlooked aspects of endometriosis care.
Too many women spend years, even decades, being told that their pain is normal. That their bleeding is just part of being a woman. That their symptoms don’t show up on an ultrasound, so they must not be real.
This gaslighting and medical dismissal isn’t just frustrating — it’s traumatic. And it takes a serious toll on mental health.
The Data Speaks Loudly
Recent studies are sounding the alarm:
A 2024 study from the American Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology (Thiel et al.) found that women with endometriosis are significantly more likely to be diagnosed with psychiatric disorders, including depression and anxiety, than women without the disease.
A U.S.-based study (Estes et al.) published in the American Journal of Epidemiology showed that women with endometriosis were at higher risk for self-harm and suicide attempts, especially in the months after diagnosis.
These findings reflect what many of us already know to be true: when your pain is minimized, your mental health suffers.
The Emotional Weight of Being Dismissed
If you’ve lived with endometriosis, you may recognize these emotional patterns:
Loss of hope after every failed treatment
Anxiety and panic over another flare-up
Depression from months or years of feeling unheard
Grief for the time, experiences, or fertility that’s been lost
Even after a diagnosis, these feelings don’t just vanish. For many women, finally being told they have endometriosis can bring its own kind of crash: a mix of validation, anger, and overwhelming grief.
What You Can Do
Know that your pain is real.
Ask for mental health support alongside your medical treatment. You deserve both.
If you feel yourself spiraling, tell someone. Talk to a loved one, call 988, or reach out to a therapist who understands chronic illness.
Share your story if you feel safe doing so — it can help others know they aren’t alone.
You Are Not Alone
We believe healing must be holistic. That means treating the disease and the emotional aftermath it leaves behind.
We’re working to build a mental health referral network of compassionate professionals who understand the invisible toll of endometriosis. If you’re a provider interested in collaborating, please contact us.
We also encourage you to read the stories of other women through our #1000Blooms project. You’ll find stories of courage, grief, resilience, and hope.
Because your mental health matters. And so do you.
