So It's Like a Painful Period? Living with Endometriosis: My Journey

This essay details the author's personal process of being diagnosed with endometriosis, including her experience of medical gaslighting and societal attitudes toward period pain. Many people who experience excessive menstrual pain report dismissive attitudes and/or trivialization of their symptoms, from both the public and health professionals. The author recalls conversations from throughout her diagnostic journey, which evidence the ingrained beliefs and attitudes of gendered observations of pain. Ultimately, the author contends that the burden of proof is with the patient, being forced to continually fight for their right to be heard in an archaic medical system. The people experiencing this condition are experts-by-experience, who are continually providing knowledge about endometriosis, and self-advocating to rewrite the societal narratives concerning menstrual pain. The goal of this essay is not to blame or cause discomfort, but rather to raise awareness and encourage everyone to talk more openly about menstrual related issues. The following prose is written as a first-person account of my experience with this condition, drawing on appropriate support from academic literature.

Automated summary

This essay details the author's personal process of being diagnosed with endometriosis, including her experience of medical gaslighting and societal attitudes toward period pain. The author highlights the dismissive attitudes and trivialization of symptoms faced by many individuals with excessive menstrual pain, and emphasizes the burden of proof placed on patients in the outdated medical system. The author argues that people experiencing this condition are experts-by-experience who advocate for rewriting societal narratives on menstrual pain.