Hi, I have developed social anxiety over the last few years, and I feel like it is getting worse. Though I've had HH all my life, somehow the anxiety part is getting worse now that I am in my 30s. I've started to get red hives on my neck and shortness of breath and of course I sweat when I meet people, even when I am just getting together with friends. It's worse one on one, compared to a group of people. Somehow I feel like the spotlight is on me and I get this panic attack. It tends to get better after a while. I used to not have this reaction 4 or 5 years ago. I dread any social get together though I love getting together with people and I would consider myself a fairly social person, but the anxiety, especially beforehand is really exhausting me to the point where I'd rather not see people.. it's sad.
I am coping by trying to pay more attention to my body when this is happening (watching without judging) and by figuring out things that help me calm down. For example if I feel cold due to the anxiety and sweating, I will bring a hot beverage to warm my fingers and my body. If I am hot, I'll bring something cold. Sometimes sitting helps, and sometimes doing something physical helps to distract and feel less on the spot. I also see a therapist and I am trying to practice methods to help me relax (meditation, yoga, mindfulness (Jon Kabat-Zinn wrote great books on mindfulness based stress reduction).
It's a work in progress but I can tell the less I get into social situations, the worse it becomes each time. So to continue getting myself out there is another way to cope.

I think the most important thing we can work on is our state of mind and our attitude toward HH and anxiety and ourselves. I am trying to become more accepting and being a friend to myself even when I or my body doesn't behave in a way that I think it should.

The hardest thing for me to accept is that there will probably never be a cure and that this is the one and only body I have. Accepting it with all it's flaws and it's good parts is the only thing that will eventually help to make me feel better. I strongly believe in this approach, though it can be hard at times because the progress takes time and a lot of patience, sometimes one step forward might mean 2 steps back. But that's ok, it is what it is.

I have never tried medication against anxiety. That freaks me out too much. I do take medication for the HH (anticholinergic) but only rarely, in social settings.

I hope this helps you. I wish you all the best.
Anne

Thank you Anne for sharing! What medication do you take for HH?

ive been through the entire span from being pretty outgoing then when my hh got worse in high school i let it stop me from dating and having fun... stepping outside your comfort zone is hard with hh but set yourself up to be as at eas as possible.. i wear black or white and usually have a change of shirts and socks.. ive been able to overcome my anxiety from hh, i still have my days that are hard but i think the thing u need to realize is that alot of people have things theyre self concios about and hh is not as strange as we make it out to be sometimes.. the thing thats helped me the most is just tellling people that i have a wierd medical condition that makes it hard to control my temperature and i mention sweating really fast as a side effect and its been amazing how people accept it instantly and even with dating ive got alot of sympathy to the point where girls will be extra nice about it and it almost brings us closer most the time... people will usually want to be really cool when u let yourself be vunerable and just kind of lay it out there, and once u do it enough times it will come off as you are confident, like ya i have flaws but im awesome... i swear its been a game changer for me.. just gravitate twords people that r nice and it can seriously strengthen your relationships with people... its amazing when u turn a weakness into a stregth like that.. it makes u feel invinsible... hh is not that strange... there are people with deformities and things that are much harder and if u notice its all about owning it!!! hope that helps... if u need to talk ever u can always write me a message

Just an FYI: Rubinol helps alot. I have HH of the palms and feet. I usually wear socks and shoes, so the plantar HH is not as noticeable. The Rubinol combined with HyperCare (a topical) really helps.
When you are anxious about something though, these two may or may not work. When anxious, you could try a Xanax for certain situations.

I don't want to take benzos

Well i cannot hold my girlfriend hands because of HH that might also one reason why i do not have any girlfriend since the last one. It was 2006 and now i am 26... T_T

I can relate to a lot of the comments, and find social anxiety really hard in certain situations and at different times of the year (i.e. with HH summer is of course the worst!).
Sometimes you do get to feeling 'What's the point?' I don't mean feeling suicidal, but it sometimes reaches a stage where you know you won't be able to enjoy a certain event, gathering etc so you think to yourself 'Why put myself through that when I know I won't enjoy it?' This has led to a lot of holding back on things through the years, and missing out on experiences and opportunities that I know in another lifetime I would have loved doing, so I don't know if this makes it my own fault or if other HH sufferers can understand.
In terms of trying to cope, I love reading self-help books, and I've just bought a CD containing a lot of different self-help eBooks which I'm going to try.
My case is different to a lot of other HH sufferers on here because I have severe compensatory HH from having the surgery for palm and foot HH many years ago (which I can definitely say is FAR worse than anything I ever went through with palm / foot HH, so my advice to anyone is avoid the surgery). I try to socialise as much as possible, but you find yourself using little tricks to try and make things easier and so that the 'spotlight' is on you as little as possible, for example if a party starts at 8pm, I'll get there 5 or 10 minutes early, so that everyone doesn't turn as you walk in (if that makes sense).
I've never gone down the route of meds for anxiety, e.g. because I think they would only mask my problems at best, which are focused around the multitude of post-surgery side-effects.
Must say it's great having forums like this, and personally I'm very grateful for them. :-)

I totally relate to everything you said. Thanks for sharing .

I am 46 and have had hyperhidrosis my entire life. I have managed to live a semi-normal life despite the awkwardness that it creates. I'll admit hyperhidrosis has affected so many aspects of my life along the way. Hand holding is out. I dread handshakes and have made up a fake allergy condition over the years because I've found the last thing anyone wants to do is shake hands with a guy holding a kleenex in that hand. I've actually told people over the years that I have a germ issue somehow preferring to own that fake condition over my real one of embarrassment with hyperhidrosis. My armpit sweat has slowed way down to the point of normality but my hands (especially) and my feet continue to pour sweat uncontrollably. I was more apt to involve myself in social situations as a teen and into my 20's despite my condition but have found that now that I'm in my 40's I avoid group get togethers especially if I know there will be new people there all wanting to shake hands. It seems to be causing some mild depression lately which is why I have sought out this support group in hopes of at least having someone in my life who actually understands what I am going through. I tried botox injections directly in my palms 20 years ago with no success. I find that in the evening it seems to lessen a bit. The ironic thing is as I type this my hands are dry! Go figure. It is probably because my day is over and I am alone in my apartment relaxed. With my condition I can go from dry hands to soaking wet in a matter of 10 seconds with the smallest of triggers. It is so frustrating! I would welcome hearing from anyone who can relate to what I am going through. I will admit that just typing this feels therapeutic. Thanks for taking the time to read this. I hope this finds everyone having a nice day.

Hello everybody,
Did anyone try methenamine based Blue Sand antiperspirant spray www.bluesand.ca ? It does not contain aluminum and is clinically tested to be superior to other hyperhidrosis treatments. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20953017. Practically no allergies or side effects. Stops sweating for 2-4 weeks. You can also spray it inside shoes to get rid of that bad shoe odor.

the anxiety is huge, it leads to lots of avoidance. i did not cope with it, i eventually avoided any contact, and after years of reflection the best i did was when i carried a white kerchief in my pocket and brought it out anytime handshakes were customary. drying my hands first i said many times, forgive me, my hands sweat. I suppose my introductions would have been less frequent if i had shut down but i didnt. I remember losing 3 partners when forced into a square dancing club or quitting judo because of the puddles of sweat left by feet on the mats in the dojo where i was sitting, nobody would practice with me, sweatey hands,, i have lots more on the anxiety and rejection but ultimately i found it was best to avoid contact, anxiety went away but i missed out on lots of social activities becoming an expert through solitary exercises.

Definitely! You are not alone with this. Anxiety has been plaguing me since being diagnosed with Hyperhidrosis and the only thing that has really helped me is Certain Dri Antiperspirant. I never leave the house without it and use it everyday! I can't say it's completely cured me of the anxiety factor, but has significantly helped me worry less when going out for social activities. Hope this helps :)