Hyperhidrosis And Shame: The Unintended Consequences

I will begin by stating the obvious: We have hyperhidrosis and we are ashamed.  Yeah, me included.

The ways in which our bodies betray us every single day is our own business; our own private hell.  Why should we speak up and expose ourselves to outright sneers or, worse, polite distaste?  It has always been this way, and most of us prefer to guard our secret at all costs.

What’s the harm in it?

Here is a simple fact:  because there are far too few voices telling the public that abnormal sweating is caused by a physical disorder, our society makes unfair assumptions about people who visibly sweat. We are seen as shifty, nervous, self-conscious, and unclean.  The result of a wet handshake?  We are often pitied and dismissed.  In short, the public and the media are, for the most part, indifferent to our plight.

The consequences of this indifference?

1. There is no awareness about hyperhidrosis in the public eye, and very little serious consideration about hyperhidrosis in the medical community.
2. It is commonplace that we go undiagnosed for years.  In fact, the average is said to be 9 years.  For me, it was 33.  This results in years of suffering in isolation and all the emotional baggage that comes with that.
3. Psychologists are often unaware of what hyperhidrosis is and how deeply it can affect the psyche.
4. There has been little research into the cause and cure for hyperhidrosis.
5. The tendency to under-diagnose hyperhidrosis has resulted in the health insurance industry’s general reluctance to cover treatments that go beyond Drysol.  Therefore, we are commonly left with two choices: pay for expensive treatments, or go without.

And the biggest consequence of all, in my opinion?

Internet Scams.

Think about it.  We are the perfect type of victims for the Internet scammer.

Too embarrassed to seek advice or treatment, we look on the Internet.  Too ashamed to ask anyone else’s opinion, we believe what is promised.  Desperate for relief, we will spend our money on anything that promises a cure.  Too embarrassed to admit that we were scammed– much less what we were hoping to cure– we do not expose the scam after the fact.

Easy money.

If you have found this website, the odds are pretty high that you have done an Internet search to try and alleviate your sweating.  Have you been tempted to buy a very short but extremely expensive little e-book that tells you to stop sweating and start living?  Have you seen promises that you can stop sweating in three days, guaranteed?  How about all-natural, herbal remedies that will put an end to your sweating?  Did you know you can wipe out facial sweating?  Do I need to continue?

The people behind these miraculous hyperhidrosis cures know a great deal about Internet marketing, and I would guess, precious little about your suffering.  Did you know that some of these e-book “publishers” pay a 65% commission to websites that link back to their very convincing shopping-cart sites?

Stop and think: If ANY of these “miraculous” cures, books, or systems worked, it would be no secret.  The International Hyperhidrosis Society would know about it; any doctor with any knowledge of hyperhidrosis would know about it.  These are all SCAMS.  These people are getting rich off of me, you, and our secrecy.

Our collective shame has made us a target and the victims of our own silence.

The only way to end the scamming, the indifference, and the medical mismanagement of our disorder is to talk about it.  I know it is hard.  Ask my friends on Facebook!

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