Celebrities Have Endometriosis Too

We’ve seen time and time again celebrities and public figures come out one by one speaking out about their struggles with endometriosis. Lena Dunham, Chrissy Teigen, Whoopi Goldberg, Cyndi Lauper, Julianne Hough and so many more have spoken out in interviews to raise awareness. Tia Mowry has been very instrumental in sharing her journey while speaking at conferences, writing a cookbook, and documenting her experience on social media for the world to see.?

Endometriosis is a disease where cells similar to the uterine lining grow outside of the uterus and can attach themselves to other organs in the body. It causes a laundry list of debilitating symptoms which include pelvic pain, extreme lower abdominal pain, and extreme fatigue. It can wreak havoc on your immune system and hormones alike.?

The disease is a tricky one as it can take on many shapes and forms anywhere from a creamy white film to carefully defined adhesions. The evidence of this doesn’t show up on any diagnostic test and the only way to fully confirm if you have it is surgery which is just one of the laundry list of factors which makes treating it so difficult.?

Bindi Irwin is the latest celebrity to speak out about having endometriosis. This week she revealed her life has been torn apart during her 10-year battle with the disease. While laying in a hospital bed in a post on Instagram she wrote a letter to her fans revealing if she should have shared her story on such a public platform.?

About 176 million women worldwide have the disease. The experience is different for everyone. Speaking out is brave and takes everything in you not to feel 'exposed.' It's such a big decision to choose between wanting to control your own narrative or silently suffer. Whether you’re a celebrity or not there are common themes that many successful women face:

Battling Hopeless While Managing Endometriosis - Life for women involves juggling multiple responsibilities. It can be very easy to get pulled into being everything to everyone if you’re not careful.

Accomplishments often turn into very strong brands on the outside and it’s hard to see past it. That’s why getting a diagnosis is so hard. It can take women up to seven years to get one. It’s hard to see someone who is successful as human and without the right community it’s easy to crumble underneath the pressure.

It’s also easy to accept defeat due to the endless cycle of physical, emotional and mental pain. Internalized emotions can eat away the core of who you are and chip away at your self-worth. Is it all in my head? Why am I not being heard? Then hearing how it can challenge your fertility is nothing short of devastating. Not to mention carrying the weight from the experiences of your past while trying to stay present and positive.?

The Fear of Being Found Out - You never know what someone is going through. I’ve heard this saying throughout my entire life until I was diagnosed. There is often a stigma talked about while having a women’s health condition like endometriosis. There is a constant fear of being penalized for having such a debilitating condition or having a label associated with your name. During my own battle I would collect my nerves and dry my tears in the car after a difficult doctor’s appointment. No one knew. It was my own best kept secret. My poker face was second to none.

Women in society have been taught to keep personal and professional lives separate and often don't have the space to be vulnerable to express what they're REALLY going through. I would often cancel plans with friends, family, and co-workers just to spend nights at home in the bed managing endometriosis in private. I saw them out having fun and living their lives. It was a void I could not fill on my own. I thought I was stuck in time while everyone else was out making progress. The feeling of failure consumed me.

It can be hard enough hearing your own negative thoughts, but taking on other people’s opinions, expectations, and projections seemed impossible. Imagine having to deal with all of this in the public eye as a celebrity.

Adopting The Same Narrative - Just like Bindi Irwin women are seen posting after surgery photos in solidarity after being brave enough to speak out. These photos are coupled with captions that detail what it’s like having the disease. We almost never see solutions to move past it. The worst thing is other women comment under these posts offering comfort and justifying the same story. Since when have we popularized struggle? Women will victimize themselves in hopes of being authentic. We constantly hear there is no documented cure or little to no treatment options in the media. Women have normalized living with the condition all while saying I have it too. And thinking treating it is the same thing as healing. It is not the same.

Instead of waiting for legislation on research, a work policy or looking to scientists for answers, have you considered your own habits and lifestyle? What about shifting your perspective or challenging your beliefs instead of wallowing in despair??And if you don’t know where to start, ask for help.

There are small incremental steps you can take towards better health. It requires you to be honest and admit that you're not okay. Will you chart new territory and make the decision to put yourself first? You can create a new story too. It takes believing in yourself again, loving yourself, and remembering who you are. That’s hard to do when you're surrounded by people who have told you what your identity is going to be. The key to freedom is learning how to define and stand on what is true for you.

Women aren’t meant to suffer for a lifetime.

Jennifer Branison is a newly published author, speaker and coach. She had no idea that stress played a major role in developing some of the health conditions, which severely diminished her quality of life. She completely healed from four diseases including endometriosis...naturally. Now she is sharing her incredible story and the tools to break free from the dark haze of stress. As a women’s health advocate and speaker, Branison was featured in a?Refinery 29 exclusive?with senator-turned Vice-President Kamala Harris upon introducing the Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act. To learn more about her story, purchase her book at?ReleaseThePressureBook.com.