Is it possible to heal from Endometriosis?

How viable is it to heal from the disabling disease of endometriosis? This is a very loaded question and one that will obviously cause much division in the endo community. For those women who have suffered for years from endometriosis and those who have had numerous surgeries, the idea of gaining any real relief becomes more and more distant and any hope is very feint. 

However, the number of anecdotal stories coming forward from women who are seeing substantial relief with a major reduction in symptoms is growing every day. These stories will obviously be varied with women using different remedies and treatments, therefore no two stories are the same. But there seems to be a certain common denominator to these stories with a great focus to using natural therapies combined with diet changes along with life-style changes.

It is now understood that endometriosis is a whole body disease therefore your whole body needs support in the form of good nutrition, reducing your toxic load from chemicals, aiming for quality sleep, reducing stress and gently moving your body.


Heal endometriosis naturally with many self help methodsHeal endometriosis naturally


 Plenty to ponder over......

To reiterate, many are resistant to the idea that there is any chance of obtaining any long-term successful relief from endometriosis.  Many women have had repeat surgeries or found that the drug treatment made them feel worse, but they continue on this path as this is the only option they are offered. 

Often women do gain relief from surgery, but surgery always carries risks and frequently the disease can come back.  It may not return for some time, but it can happen.  Even those who have had a total hysterectomy are finding that the disease comes back.  

It could be time to change direction and look for alternative ways of doing things with your health.   It may be time to work with nature rather than against it.  One of the key facts I kept in my mind while I was in the throes of working to repair my body from the damage caused by endo, was learning the fascinating fact that the body repairs and replaces every cell in your body, even your bones, over the period of 10 years 

That made me think ....... long and hard.  If this is the case, then why does the body replace old cells with new diseased cells?   So I started to ‘talk to my own body’; talking to my cells and that they had better listen up and replace the old diseased cells with healthy cells.  All that sounds a bit woo woo, but it is a scientific fact that your body pays attention to what you say to it ...... even in your sub-conscious mind. Just look at the nervous feeling you can get in your gut just thinking about something scary or worrying . . . .  the 'gut feeling'.

 


Power of thinking positively 

Mind over matter really does work to help heal the body.  There are some fascinating facts about the sub-conscious and how it can affect the health of the physical body.  Various experiments have been done on this topic. For example one experiment involved putting a group of ex-service men together in a specific environment for a set period of time to assess the effects on their health.  They were put in an environment where the furniture style was the same as in their youth, they wore clothes from when they were younger and even listened to music from their youth. 

At the end of the experiment (which lasted just a few weeks) the immune system of these guys had improved, their blood tests improved, their eye-sight improved, they had more energy – in total they just felt younger.  You can read more about this in the book from Deepak Chopra - 'Quantum Healing'.

It was this research, and other similar stories that got me thinking about how I could ‘talk’ to my own body, which is what I did by putting quality time aside each day for mindful meditation. This may sound trite, but how can it be explained that some people gain remission from various serious diseases when they work at a sub-conscious level to heal their body.  I developed an in-grained belief that I would get better, and kept working on that belief. 

The end result . . . . . what did make my endometriosis dry up (as confirmed by a laparoscopy)? Did I have a lucky remission?  Was it the homeopathy I was using for treatment?  Was it the diet I was following?  Was it a combination of all these things?  Quite frankly at the time I did not care.  I was just glad to be free of the pain, fatigue, bloating, insomnia, weakness and all the other distressing symptoms of endometriosis.  


I need to note that I am not opposed to surgery, and it has huge benefits in the hands of the right surgeon when you need to repair the structure of your abdominal and reproductive organs.  I had surgery myself with a diagnostic laparoscopy followed by surgery to remove an ovarian cyst.  But I personally feel you need to back this up by supporting your body and immune-system to aid healing  

It is too much to expect that you can have surgery and go back to how you were living before.  Endometriosis affects the whole body and your immune system has been under huge stress, your central nervous system may have been fried by the stress, your adrenal glands could have taken a hit, and then there is the question that those with endometriosis often tend to suffer other illnesses. 

Which is why you need to do all you can to support your entire  body – be focused, get selfish for the sake of your health and listen to your body.



So I think you can grasp I am really saying - it is possible to start repairing your body and reduce the inflammation and disabling symptoms of endometriosis - to start with you have an in-built mechanism to support you - your immune system.  If you need encouragement read some of the endo success stories here. The main focus is to reduce the effect this disease has on your life by reducing your symptoms and improving your overall health.


Let's backtrack - why do you have endometriosis?

That is a really painful and difficult question!  I know from personal experience that this question was asked over and over again .... why me? This disease is so cruel and no-one really seems to know why certain women develop this disease.  Is it more common now than it was in the past? Is this a reflection of the increase in toxins in our environment?  And let's face it, our environment is more toxic than it has ever been and we are seeing a huge increase in auto-immune diseases, especially among women.

Like I said before, nobody really knows the cause of endometriosis, and personally I don't think we ever will. Research into this disease is ongoing all the time, but most of this research is based around new surgical and drug treatments and looking for new diagnostic methods. But there seems to be little research into WHY this disease develops in the first place.  It could be the result of environmental toxins, it could be from stress, it could be hereditary, it could be from childhood abuse or a combination of many issues all put together that have culminated in your body becoming totally out of balance.

Important note: It is a normal healthy immune-system that usually mops up the stray menstrual cells in your abdomen, and nearly every women has stray menstrual cells in the abdomen with every cycle.




* It has been scientifically proven that you can 'fool' your sub-conscious - by actively thinking positively in your conscious mind, your sub-conscious mind will believe it. This has a positive knock on effect with your immune system.  Also - laughter is excellent for the immune system (as well as a good work out for your facial muscles!)




Key factors to treat endometriosis naturally


The affects on the immune system


Meditation and the immune system

Meditation can help boost the body’s immune system and produce lasting positive changes in the brain. Studies have shown that meditation helps reduce anxiety and stress and studies have been conducted by researchers that suggest meditation may also have positive biological effects on the body’s ability to fight infection and disease. 

Stress and your hormones

Stress and anxiety have a direct impact on levels of hormones such as cortisol which are known to effect immune function.  It is also well known that stress will affect your digestive system and we now know that at least 80% of our immune system stems from the gut. It is becoming increasingly evident that endometriosis has its roots in a compromised immune system when you look at the number of complex auto-immune diseases that endometriosis sufferers also have to deal with like Hashimoto's thyroid disease, ME, Lupus, Celiac disease, to mention just a few.


The immune system normally helps the body recognize and remove abnormal cells or foreign materials. In endometriosis, however, this process goes awry. Instead of removing misplaced endometrial-like tissue—tissue that’s naturally part of the body—the immune system may create an environment that allows it to grow and thrive. Dr Seckin


Changes in your life

As said earlier, working towards healing and recovery from endometriosis will require some changes in your life. Some of these changes will be subtle, like changing to a positive mental attitude regarding your health. Aim to have faith that you can get better, which will boost your confidence and enforce your trust and commitment that you will regain your health. Reading positive books of others who have regained their health is a great boost and resource.


These changes may include:

  • Nutrition - eat as healthily as possible and add in targeted supplements to help with your endometriosis symptoms 
  • Ask for more help, people are not psychic and want to help - if you cannot get help from your family - get in touch with endo support groups
  • Seek out support in whatever form that takes i.e. endometriosis support groups, positive reading about getting well from illness etc.
  • I will repeat - GET SUPPORT - this disease really takes its toll not only on your body, but on your emotions.  You need support to help you cope with the anxiety, stress and depression.
  • Get yourself informed and educated about endometriosis - the more you know the better equipped you are to deal with it, as you will understand more of what is happening
  • Listen to your body, it has much to tell you. If you have a hunch, an intuitive feeling, then follow it. These hunches are more accurate than we ever give them credit for. (My intuition has saved my life - twice!)
  • Do not weaken to the will or demands of others - your doctor may disapprove of any measures you take to be more in charge of your own health but its your body; your family may oppose the actions you are taking regarding self help for your health, or they may demand your attention/time/energy with little regard to how ill you are feeling. Do not give in to these pressures, because that is exactly what they are - PRESSURES.
  • Finally, have faith in yourself. Do not tell yourself that you are not capable of healing and that only other people can achieve this. Nearly everyone of us posses untapped capabilities to heal and nature built it into our system; it is hard-wired into our circuitry - if you are given enough support and motivation, this will encourage you to maintain faith in your own recovery from Endometriosis.


One more time ....... get support - really important

The other key ingredient to regaining your health is to obtain as much support as possible as mentioned above. This support could include some form of alternative/natural therapy sessions or going to see a counsellor. Local endometriosis support groups that have meet ups are another great resource and can provide advice regarding treatment in your area. 


The benefits of getting support are multi-faceted, some of which can be very subtle. It is not the type of natural therapy you choose which is so important, it is the one which feels right for you that is important. It is highly recommend that you see a counsellor in person because they can pick up little clues as to what your personal needs are and what is going on in your life.


You may be able to do a lot to help yourself through nutrition, detox or supplements, but the value of getting help and support from outside - from another person - has been proven to have enormous added value. Fortunately there are now numerous endometriosis support groups on social media that can offer advice, feedback and much needed understanding as well as compassion.



To sum up on factors that help you to heal:

  • Change your perceptions - listen to your inner voice, and do listen to your body - if you have a hunch - act on it - it could be a vital clue
  • Do all you can to support your immune system - this allows the body to start healing itself -  your immune system is your strongest ally 
  • Make lots of positive changes in your life no matter how small - every little bit helps
  • Try to see an alternative/natural therapist or counsellor - the one which feels right for you - 'cos if no-one else is really listening then your health therapist will give you full attention 
  • Stay committed to this journey - yes you will have bad days, but you will spring back and get back on course
  • Get in charge of this illness, do not let it get in charge of you
  • Get support, get support, get support


The advice here is about looking for solutions …. Not dwelling on the problems

with healing thoughts Carolyn


Footnote: I just want to say that this has been one of the most difficult articles to write on this website as this topic is so emotive and sensitive. I totally understand if some readers find it difficult to acknowledge the possibility of gaining permanent or even long-term relief from endometriosis, but I hope the advice here provides at least some hope.


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About the Author

Hi, I am Carolyn Levett, the Founder here at endo-resolved - I am an Integrative Health Coach having studied nutrition, naturopathy and aromatherapy as well as being a published author of three endometriosis books. I used to suffer from severe endometriosis and was fortunate to be able to regained my health and recover from this disease with the support of nutrition, natural therapies and lots of determination.

My motivation is to help other women with endometriosis to heal their bodies so they may start to overcome this awful disease without having to totally rely on toxic drugs and surgeries which can cause further damage  -  with healing thoughts, Carolyn.


The Immune System and the Development of Endometriosis

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9265783/

The Role of the Immune System in the Development of Endometriosis

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2949838423000373

The Immune Aspects of Endometriosis: How Your Body’s Defence System Plays a Role

https://drseckin.com/the-immune-aspects-of-endometriosis-how-your-bodys-defense-system-plays-a-role/



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