All About Lipedema
Information and practical tools.
Category
Mental health
Body image, living with chronic pain, and stress management.
2 articles
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Mental health
Trauma and lipedema - is there a connection between them?
Many women with lipedema say that their symptoms appeared or worsened after a period of prolonged stress, emotional trauma, or a significant event in their lives. Others feel that the lipedema itself has become a source of emotional pain, anxiety, and loss of self-confidence over the years. Is there really a connection between trauma and lipedema? In this article, we will review what is currently known, what is still being researched, and how trauma, stress, and lipedema may affect each other.
Mental health
Lipedema and Stress
Stress is not thought to cause lipedema, but it does appear to affect the severity of symptoms in some people living with the condition. Some people report that during times of stress they experience more pain, heaviness, swelling or tenderness in their tissues. So is there really a link between stress and lipedema – and what is currently known about it?
Mental health and lipedema — the part discussed least
Living with a chronic condition that is hard to diagnose, changes your appearance and often hurts takes an emotional toll. Studies of quality of life among women with lipedema have found high rates of distress, difficulty around body image, and a repeated experience of not being believed — including by professionals.
The articles here treat that seriously: what the research has found, how stress and trauma relate to coping, and where support can be found.
What you will find here
- What research has found on quality of life and mental health in lipedema
- The relationship between stress, trauma and coping
- Body image, and dealing with other people’s reactions
- Sleep, pain, and the loop between them
What is still unknown: This site does not provide therapy or mental health advice. If you are experiencing ongoing distress, reaching out to a mental health professional is the right step — and in an emergency, seek immediate help.