JP81
Well-known member
Hi all, I thought I'd just ramble on here about my recent experiences with meditation and it's positive effect on my HH and underlying/related anxiety. To give you an idea of my background I've had generalised and extremely excessive HH for a good 10 years. I've tried several treatments - oral and topical - all with varying degrees of success. I've also been a ball of anxiety for most of that time. There was a stage where I actually thought I was cracking up - I couldn't drive because of panic attacks, I was avoiding friends and was generally a massive downer.
To begin with I should state that I originally had no intentions of using meditation as a treatment for HH, I just wanted peace of mind. The effect it has had on HH is only one of many byproducts. For what it's worth I'm an atheist, a cynic and highly skeptical of any snake oil quackery - people who know me initially looked at me sideways when I told them I'd been attending various meditation classes, sometimes at Buddhist temples and clubs. No-one knocked on my door or forced me to attend these classes, curiosity and a little research found me in this position. I mean as soon as anything supernatural comes up I will be excusing myself to go to the toilet and bolting through an open window. The main reason I attend these classes is to learn about the foundations, underlying philosophies and ethics of meditation, which I believe is necessary to successfully meditate. I've always understood Buddhism was more a way of living rather than a religion. There are no threats of punishment or damnation for not adhering to any of its precepts.
For me a lot of the philosophy underlying Buddhism was a profound revelation and more than anything made me reflect on how we are conditioned by Western thought, through the influences of Christianity and capitalism/materialism. Most of us live within a framework which limits how we think and feel. (Stop me if I'm sounding like an undergrad hippie). I'm not having a go at Christianity or Western ideals as a whole, but just recognising the inescapable and deeply psychological influence they have on us.
As I've learned meditation and mindfulness is not just about sitting in a quiet room and relaxing the mind as some sort of circuit breaker. It's not about shirking responsibility and tuning out or ignoring pain. In fact sometimes you can meditate on pain or a negative thought. It should also extend into your everyday routine and manifest itself in your actions (karma).
To cut to the chase, meditation has taught me how to breathe, not to compare oneself to others or have prejudice, to have gratitude, how to live in the moment, to let go of pain and regret, and how to rid myself of self-doubt and anxiety. As anxiety was an underlying cause of my HH, I do feel that my sweating has been greatly kept in check. I still use medication and the strong antiperspirants as a precaution, but I'm now far more confident I can get by with minimal sweating. I'm also much happier.
To begin with I should state that I originally had no intentions of using meditation as a treatment for HH, I just wanted peace of mind. The effect it has had on HH is only one of many byproducts. For what it's worth I'm an atheist, a cynic and highly skeptical of any snake oil quackery - people who know me initially looked at me sideways when I told them I'd been attending various meditation classes, sometimes at Buddhist temples and clubs. No-one knocked on my door or forced me to attend these classes, curiosity and a little research found me in this position. I mean as soon as anything supernatural comes up I will be excusing myself to go to the toilet and bolting through an open window. The main reason I attend these classes is to learn about the foundations, underlying philosophies and ethics of meditation, which I believe is necessary to successfully meditate. I've always understood Buddhism was more a way of living rather than a religion. There are no threats of punishment or damnation for not adhering to any of its precepts.
For me a lot of the philosophy underlying Buddhism was a profound revelation and more than anything made me reflect on how we are conditioned by Western thought, through the influences of Christianity and capitalism/materialism. Most of us live within a framework which limits how we think and feel. (Stop me if I'm sounding like an undergrad hippie). I'm not having a go at Christianity or Western ideals as a whole, but just recognising the inescapable and deeply psychological influence they have on us.
As I've learned meditation and mindfulness is not just about sitting in a quiet room and relaxing the mind as some sort of circuit breaker. It's not about shirking responsibility and tuning out or ignoring pain. In fact sometimes you can meditate on pain or a negative thought. It should also extend into your everyday routine and manifest itself in your actions (karma).
To cut to the chase, meditation has taught me how to breathe, not to compare oneself to others or have prejudice, to have gratitude, how to live in the moment, to let go of pain and regret, and how to rid myself of self-doubt and anxiety. As anxiety was an underlying cause of my HH, I do feel that my sweating has been greatly kept in check. I still use medication and the strong antiperspirants as a precaution, but I'm now far more confident I can get by with minimal sweating. I'm also much happier.
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