Attending my first Endo/Pelvic Pain Workshop what I discovered and what I learnt.
Finding My Voice at the Endo/Pelvic Pain Workshop
Attending the endo and pelvic pain workshop today was an act of bravery for me. I was anxious walking in, so my nervous system kicked up a notch, this made me unsure of how my body would handle a full day of sitting or how I’d feel surrounded by others who also live with pelvic pain. By the time I took my seat cushions at hand, within a few hours those familiar trembles in my legs and the ache that comes from sitting too long with pudendal neuralgia kicked in. In my mind I was worried someone would notice. This is something my body doesn’t tolerate anymore, you wont find me sitting for long periods these days anywhere. But I stayed. I breathed through it. And I reminded myself that showing up was enough and embraced my own strength in that space.
Seven hours in a chair even sitting on a cushion on the floor felt like a marathon, but what I gained from being there went far beyond the physical challenge. I learnt so much, not just about new techniques and insights into managing pelvic pain, but about myself too. I realised how much experience I carry, and how that experience has shaped the way I approach my healing.
There were women of all ages in the room, many younger and some newly diagnosed, some in endo/pelvic pain for years and all still trying to find their footing in this world of pain management, specialists, and self-advocacy. I noticed how they leaned on apps and phone reminders to help track symptoms and routines, while I still rely on pen and paper, memory, and instinct. I’m “old school,” I suppose journalling, reflecting, and writing things out to make sense of my body and emotions.
It’s how I’ve always found clarity and release.
And though our approaches were different, there was a quiet beauty in that difference. They shared fresh ideas and digital tools that may help them feel in control, while I shared stories of lived experience, years of navigating surgeries, nerve pain, and the daily work of managing chronic conditions. For once, I felt truly listened to. My words seemed to reach them, maybe because they came from a place of long, hard-earned understanding.
Walking away, I felt both drained and proud,proud of showing up, proud of speaking, and proud of how far I’ve come. This body has endured so much, but it still carries me to spaces where connection and healing can happen. And even when the day left me in pain and inflamed, I know that my voice my experience was openly heard.
The Work Shop Experience and what I learned
The workshop focused on the psychological side of endometriosis and chronic pelvic pain and wow, it was one of those sessions that really makes you pause and reflect on how much the mind and body are connected.
Living with long-term chronic pelvic pain can make you feel trapped inside your body. There are days you wake up already exhausted, not just physically, but emotionally. Pain becomes a language your body speaks constantly, and sometimes it feels like no one else understands it. But learning about the psychology behind pain and how therapy approaches like CBT, ACT, and mindfulness can help, gave me something I didn’t expect: hope, and a deeper sense of control.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT)
We explored how CBT can support people living with endo and pelvic pain. The core idea is that our problems often grow from unhelpful thinking patterns, learned behaviours, and psychological stress, all of which can keep us stuck in cycles of pain and fear.
CBT teaches us to:
Identify distorted thinking patterns
Better understand our behaviours and emotional triggers
Reinforce more balanced thoughts
Face fears instead of avoiding them
Learn what calms our mind and body
It’s about building awareness and finding healthier ways to cope when pain or anxiety start taking over.
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
ACT was another powerful approach we talked about. It’s not about “getting rid” of pain, but about living a full, meaningful life alongside it. It encourages us to take action that reflects our values, even when life feels limited.
ACT helps you:
Develop personal control over difficult thoughts
Commit to actions that enrich your life
Clarify what truly matters to you what motivates and inspires you
Build coping skills that help you handle tough moments with compassion
It’s like asking yourself: What do I value most? How do I want to treat myself? Then, making choices that honour those answers.
Mindfulness and the Science of Pain
We also explored mindfulness as a tool to manage endo and pelvic pain not just as a relaxation technique, but as a way to truly understand pain.
Pain isn’t just a physical sensation. It’s an emotional experience tied to how our brain perceives threat and safety. The brain is wired to protect us especially our reproductive organs which means sometimes it can overreact to danger signals and create more pain than there’s physical damage for.
It’s important to acknowledge that pain is scary and can feel overwhelming, but learning about it can help us reclaim power.
Because knowledge really is power.
Understanding DIMs and SIMs
We learned about a concept called DIMs and SIMs and it made so much sense.
DIMs (Danger In Me) are things that make your body and mind feel unsafe like bad medical experiences, fear about the future, or the belief that your pain will stop you from achieving your goals.
SIMs (Safety In Me) are things that make you feel safe and supported like a good support network, kindness toward yourself, or doing something that improves your wellbeing.
Balancing these is key. The more we can surround ourselves with SIMs, the less control pain can have over our lives.
The Three Types of Pain
We also broke down the different types of pain:
Acute pain: Short-term pain that improves as tissue heals.
Neuropathic pain: Caused by nerve damage (like in pudendal neuralgia).
Chronic pain: Pain that persists for more than three months it changes how the nervous system and brain process danger and safety signals, leading to central sensitisation.
When the nervous system becomes overprotective, pain can spread or become triggered by things that never used to hurt sitting, movement, even stress. It’s not “in your head” it’s your body’s alarm system working overtime.
Taking Back Control
The good news? We can take back control.
By understanding what drives pain and learning how stress, emotions, and trauma influence it, we can start creating change.
We spoke about the “window of tolerance”, which helps you recognise when you’re in different states of arousal:
Hyperarousal (Fight or Flight)
Anxiety, panic, anger, tension, racing thoughts, and hypervigilance.
Optimal Arousal (Window of Tolerance)
Feeling safe, calm, present, curious, empathetic, and able to think clearly.
Hypoarousal (Freeze Response)
Emotional numbness, shutdown, fatigue, dissociation, and withdrawal.
Recognising these states helps you respond with compassion rather than judgment — learning what your body needs to feel safe again.
Mindfulness in Practice
Practicing mindfulness builds awareness, presence and acceptance.
It helps you observe pain and emotions rather than getting swept up in them.
Some of the biggest takeaways were:
Reduce shame by naming it and reframing it with self-compassion
Build resilience through connection, purpose, and wellness
Focus on happy hormones dopamine (reward), oxytocin (love), serotonin (mood stabiliser), and endorphins (natural pain relief)
Practical Strategies
Managing endo and pelvic pain often needs a team-based approach:
Pelvic floor physiotherapy
Medication management (with a supportive GP, gynaecologist, or compound pharmacist)
Psychologist support
Couples therapy or a sexologist to navigate intimacy and relationship challenges
Open communication about mental health and emotional roadblocks
After the workshop, my last thought’s
Walking out of the workshop, I felt something shift. Pain might still be part of my life but it doesn’t define who I am or what I can achieve.
Learning about the mind-body connection reminded me that healing isn’t just physical; it’s psychological, emotional, and deeply personal.
It’s about finding safety again in your body, your relationships and your everyday life.
And that’s a journey worth taking, one mindful step at a time.
Cassie x
Artist, Mum and Mental Health Student Living With Chronic Pelvic Pain
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