Self-advocacy means speaking up for yourself and your interests. Speaking up is a key part of self-advocacy, but can be hard when you feel scared or overwhelmed.
How can I Self-Advocate?
Plan out what you are going to say
Once you have decided what you want, plan out what you are going to say: you can do this by writing down your concerns, symptoms and current needs, or by creating a mindmap- whatever method works best for you. No matter how you do it, make sure you make a plan- you may think you’ll be able to remember everything you want to talk about, but you’ll be surprised how fast your mind can go blank when you’re overwhelmed.
Create a description of your symptoms
Creating a description of your symptoms to help your doctor better understand how endometriosis affects your day to day life. For example, if pain is a major symptom, you can talk about:
- where it is
- how it feels
- how strong it is
- how long it lasts
- if it stops you from doing activities you enjoy.
If you worry that you may not be comfortable doing this alone, it may be a good idea to bring someone with you for support. This can be a friend, partner, or family member. They should not speak for you but should allow you to feel more comfortable when stating your needs.
Your body, your choice.
Remember, it’s your body: you are the only one who can live in it, so you should be able to have the final say on the choices that affect you and your body. A major part of self-advocacy is standing up for yourself when your needs and concerns are not being met. If you ever feel as though a clinician you interact with does not respect and listen to your concerns, please find another one who will.