This Photo Shows What Endometriosis Pain Might Look Like If You Could See It

Ordinarily, endometriosis is not visible from the outside, but one woman found a way to represent how the condition might look if you could see it.

Endometriosis advocate Sinead Smythe shared a photo on her Facebook page on Wednesday of her stomach painted with makeup to represent her pain.

In the caption, she explained that just because endometriosis is invisible, that doesn’t mean it isn’t there. “Pain that feels like your organs are being carved out like a pumpkin on halloween. Pain that makes you physically sick. Pain that feels forever lasting,” Smythe wrote. “To feel so horrific and no-one believes you because you don’t look unwell. I hope this message is powerful.”

Her full post reads:

Just because endometriosis is invisible. Doesn’t mean it isn’t there!
Imagine your own body going AGAINST YOU.
Imagine a sort of cancer that won’t kill you, but you will live with forever.
Imagine finding out there is no cure.
Imagine knowing you will have to live with this for the rest of your life.
Imagine constantly being told false information by professionals… ‘’have a baby it will cure you” or ‘’have a hysterectomy it will cure you”
You are actually made to feel like this is your only option.
It causes fertility problems.
Being told to have ‘child’ when having a children may not be an option for you.
Anxiety and depression emerge, you begin to forget how to keep it at bay.
Crippling pain that stops you from doing the hobbies you love.
Excruciating pain that stops you from being employed and making a living.
Bloating so much you look 6 months pregnant.
Constant trips to A&E for help.
Pain that feels like fireworks are trapped exploding throughout your body.
Pain that feels like a cat is trying to claw its way out of your abdominal.
Pain that feels like your organs are being carved out like a pumpkin on halloween.
Pain that makes you physically sick.
Pain that feels forever lasting.
To feel so horrific and no-one believes you because you don’t look unwell.
I hope this message is powerful.
Happy Halloween my loves X

Smythe, who lives in Brighton, U.K., told The Mighty she has been working to raise awareness of endometriosis on Facebook and Instagram since her diagnosis two years ago at age 19. She thought painting her body might open people’s eyes, and support others with endometriosis as well.

“Your ‘typical’ blogger would usually do Halloween face makeup (which I love) but it isn’t me,” she said. “I went with dark dull colors. Red, purple, black and brown. The pain endometriosis causes is brutal — I can imagine it to look a lot worse off than what I was able to do but I thought this matched up well.”

An estimated one in 10 women have endometriosis, a chronic condition in which tissue similar to the lining of the uterus is found outside of the uterus, attached to other areas like the fallopian tubes, bowel and intestines. Due to a lack of information and awareness, it takes an average of 10 years from onset of symptoms to receive a diagnosis.

Smythe said she hopes her post helps people realize that just because people with endometriosis don’t “look sick,” that doesn’t mean they are perfectly healthy.

“We suffer physically, mentally and emotionally and we need people to realize it’s not just a bad period, or bad ovulation. It’s a whole lot more than that,” Smythe said. “I will keep doing what I am doing to support women from all around! We may not find a cure in my lifetime, but I will sure as hell do my best in helping the generations to come!”