The Arts and Endometriosis

By Tricia Ong, M.C.A.T

Using the arts therapeutically and/or in a health and wellbeing context for women with endometriosis may be a foreign concept in the field of obstetrics and gynecology. However, literature from within the field of the arts therapies - and contemporary endometriosis literature - is beginning to acknowledge the value of engaging in the arts processes for this group of women.

As the medical literature tells us, there is no known cause or cure for endometriosis. While many women suffer mildly from this disease, others have debilitating experiences and suffer long term consequences. For the long term sufferers and for women who have experienced a significant delay to diagnosis - still on average 10 years - there is a need to employ strategies to help women cope with the disease, to improve current coping patterns, and to empower women through their health care experiences. The arts can play a contributory role in this process.

The arts - visual art, creative writing, poetry, singing, song-writing, drama, dancing and more - have been used in health care settings with patients with chronic illnesses, such as asthma, cancer, multiple sclerosis and more, for decades. The benefits of engaging in the arts processes for women with endometriosis and its related issues of, for example, infertility, ectopic pregnancy and more, are just beginning to be noted.

Arts therapy research indicates - and patients with chronic illnesses concur - engaging in the arts processes can:

• Help to reduce pain, and, sometimes, overcome it
• Provide an outlet for expressing emotions
• Enable fears and anxieties to be worked through
• Enable issues of grief and loss to be expressed, explored and processed
• Provide a distraction from illness
• Restore a sense of normalcy in the otherwise chaotic world of hospitalizations and medical treatments, where a sense of time is often lost
• Provide a wonderful medium/s for relaxation

The arts offer new hope for women with endometriosis. While actively engaging in processes that are enjoyable, women can also make a positive contribution to improving their health and wellbeing. Potentially, women may even develop new interests. The arts have an important place to play in supporting this high need group of women.

Further Reading

Ballweg, M. L. Endometriosis: The Complete Reference for Taking Charge of Your Health. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2003
Berstein J. Art and endometriosis (from an artist’s sketchbook). Art Therapy 1995;12(1):56-61.
Bouzoukis, C. Pediatric Dramatherapy: They Couldn’t Run So They Learned to Fly. London and Philadelphia: Jessica Kingsley, 2001.

Malchiodi, C. The Art Therapy Sourcebook. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2007

Morris, K. Living Well With Endometriosis: What Your Doctor Doesn’t Tell You That You Need to Know. New York: Harper Collins, 2006

Ong, P. An Heuristic Inquiry: My Lived Experience of Voicing My Music Unpublished Masters Thesis. Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology University, Melbourne, Australia, 2006

Pratt, M. and Wood, M. (eds) Art Therapy in Palliative Care: The Creative Response. London and New York: Routledge, 1998.

Seftel, L. Grief Unseen: Healing Pregnancy Loss Through The Arts.London and New York: Jessica Kingsley, 2006