Vivências sócio-afetivas de pacientes com endometriose: uma compreensão psicanalítica clássica

Abstract

Endometriosis is an extremely challenging gynecological disease concerning its diagnosis, treatment and implications in various aspects of women's lives. In particular, the psychic distress is brings if often, if not ignored, at least underestimated by health care services. This study focused on knowing the experiences of women diagnosed with endometriosis, regarding their disease and care, attended, for at least one year, at a specialized public health clinic in the Amazon. The focus lays on the subjective constructions of these women on their experience with the diseased body. The fundamental purpose was to investigate the impacts of endometriosis on the personal, professional and social lives of these women, to describe the imaginary productions that permeate the psychological of the patients, as well as to identify the therapeutic trajectory taken until the current moment of treatment. The descriptive and exploratory level research, is one of the qualitative approach. We used the technique of semi-directed interview and the Drawing-Story with Theme procedure. The data collected in the interviews were analyzed according to the content analysis method. As for the interpretation device, the classical psychoanalytical framework was used. The Thematic Drawing-Story Procedure produced data that were analyzed based on theories and practices of Psychoanalysis, Projective Techniques and Clinical Interview. The results have shown that experiencing the pain symptom is the most devastating for women, causing them fearing, worrying and stress. Despite the colective assuption that this would be inherent of being a woman, the active posture of seeking resolution of symptoms exposes the supremacy of biomedical knowledge about the body experiences brought by women to medical teams, who ignore their symptoms, contributing even more with the delay of diagnosis. Endometriosis affects the lives of women in various aspects, be it personal, professional, social and sexual, reflecting in a unamiable behavior. The experiences reported in this study support the need of a biopsychosocial approach, based on comprehensive health care so that medical teams can tailor care to each woman's individual needs.