Expression of Affection
According to Dr. Gary Chapman, a marriage counselor, speaker, and bestselling author, the way we express affection is categorized into the Five Love Languages, namely: Physical Touch, Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, Receiving Gifts, and Quality Time. In this blog post, we’re about to hold your hand (no pun intended) and walk you through navigating the love language, Physical Touch, if you’re someone who enjoys physical intimacy yet struggles with hyperhidrosis. We’re going to tackle some of the struggles of being physically intimate while excessively sweating, as well as delve into proactive measures such as iontophoresis, which can help address these hurdles so you can fully embrace physical affection with no hesitations.When Physical Intimacy Becomes Physically Intimidating
Physical Touch as a love language includes gestures and activities such as: kissing, hugging, and holding hands, to name a few. Physical Touch can be expressed in a wide variety of relationships such as with family and friends—it is not necessarily limited to romantic partners. However, regardless of who we want to express our physical intimacy with, we can’t deny that hyperhidrosis can get in the way when being with those that are nearest and dearest to our hearts.Worrying about your sweat stains before hugging, your sweaty palms before holding hands, the beads of sweat that form on your forehead before leaning against your loved one’s shoulder, to name a few, can take you away from being present in your relationships which can negatively affect them. Instead of being able to enjoy the moment, your hyperhidrosis would instead trigger your anxiety with physical intimacy. Needless to say, anxiety and relationships aren’t quite a good mix. Over time, this can turn into relationship anxiety which includes behaviors that jeopardize the relationship such as doubt, mistrust, and avoidance, among many other catastrophic factors.
Embracing Physical Intimacy
Creating and maintaining healthy relationships starts with yourself. In order for your relationships with other people to flourish, you must first have a good relationship with yourself. If you find that hyperhidrosis has been affecting your sense of self, and in turn, your relationships with other people, it is a matter of time that you start taking concrete steps to address it.Generally, it is important to recognize the difference between what you can control, and what you cannot. While having hyperhidrosis might be something that you cannot control, you should keep in mind that there are options out there which will allow you to alleviate its effects. You do have options, you do have control, and you do have the power to improve the quality of your life and your relationships. Don’t let hyperhidrosis control your ability to cherish physical intimacy. Treatments such as iontophoresis can help you deal with your hyperhidrosis better, which can then improve your self-esteem and confidence especially in your relationships.
In addition to iontophoresis, we suggest that you consider the following actions to improve the quality of your relationships:
- - Open Communication By openly communicating your feelings, experiences, and struggles of dealing with hyperhidrosis, you get to create an avenue for empathy, compassion, and understanding with your partner or loved ones.
- - Involvement. By getting your partner or loved ones involved with addressing your hyperhidrosis (such as initiating bonding activities with you during your iontophoresis treatments, reminding you of your treatment schedules, them staying informed and educated about your condition, etc.), not only will you be able to get the opportunity to initiate physical intimacy and strengthen your relationship with them, but you will also get to navigate your iontophoresis journey with good company.