Intimacy issues should be discussed before it becomes a problem, yet they are rarely spoken of.
Welcome to part three. 1 2 < 3 > 4 5 6 7 8 9
Receiving a diagnosis of an autoimmune disease is overwhelming. There is so much to take in. Especially if you have no knowledge about your diagnosed disease and weren’t expecting it.
There are many resources available to educate us about our symptoms and treatment options. But, there aren’t many resources to inform us of the changes that will at some point or another become an issue in our personal lives.
Many chronic pain patients could have been saved a lot of heartache and frustration had we been warned about and/or educated in the subject that I am sharing with you today.
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#Fibromyalgia and #psoriaticarthritis are more than physically painful. Without proper support and education these #chronicillnesses destroy lives!
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Intimacy
Let’s talk about sex!
Chronic pain from fibromyalgia and psoriatic arthritis will destroy your sex life. That is unless you are willing to accept and make changes.
What needs to change?
Things that may need reevaluating are:
- Your definition of intimacy
- Sexual positions
- How you view your body
It is impossible to feel #sexy when every inch of my body is screaming out in pain. #fibromyalgia #psoriaticarthritis #intimacy
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Sex and chronic pain from fibromyalgia and autoimmune arthritis is tricky.
Pain may make a simple caress feel like your lover is scrubbing your skin with a Brillo pad! Hip pain may make it difficult to walk afterward. It could also impact your mobility for days.
It would seem logical to avoid sexual activity when severely flaring. However, for some sex is painful even when not in a full-blown flare.
Another con to waiting until we feel better is that figuring out what that is. We will never feel 100%. Instead, we need to figure out how much pain are we able to endure.
To limit pain we may need to find new positions or ways to pleasure our partner as well as ourselves. This may be done with lubricants and/or personal massagers.
Pain teaches our brains to avoid activities that create pain. If you find yourself no longer initiating intimacy with your spouse, talk to them. Work out a schedule or way for them to ask without pressuring you.
What could help a newly diagnosed patient
- Patients need to be aware that their sex drive and life may change
- A referral and/or list of therapists who have experience working with chronic pain patients and intimacy issues.
- A pamphlet of sexual positions/acts that are less painful
- A lubricant and intimacy toy guide explaining how to use them
- EFFECTIVE PAIN RELIEF OPTIONS
Intimacy Product Suggestions
- The Ultimate Guide to Sex and Disability: For All of Us Who Live with Disabilities, Chronic Pain, and Illness
- Calendula-Rose Body Oil
- Maple Holistics Personal Lubricant
- Organic Glide Natural Personal Lubricant
- plusOne Dual Vibrating Massager
- Powerful Wand Massager with 10 Magic Vibration Modes
Thank you for reading part three of this nine-part series.
Continue reading:
- 1 Mental Health
- 2 Therapy is Important
- 3 Intimacy Issues
- 4 What is Health Journaling?
- 5 Pain Relief Options
- 6 Relationship Troubles
- 7 Need for Assistance
- 8 Importance of Self-Care
- 9 Keep Moving with a Mobility Aid
Related posts:
- The Cost of Living with Fibromyalgia
- Invasion of the Brain Snatcher! Tips for Dealing with Fibro Fog
- Four Wearable Pain Relief Devices for Fibromyalgia and Arthritis
- Seven Embarrassing Fibromyalgia Symptoms
- F words that describe what it is like to live with Fibromyalgia
- 5 Ways to Reduce Fibromyalgia Pain
Such an important topic and so rarely covered! My husband and I have been together for about 15 years now and our intimacy has had to grow and change quite a lot as we’ve both changed and taken on more and more challenges to our health, but we still make it a priority and continue to make things work. Communication and innovation are definitely our best friends in the bedroom and you’ve provided some great tips here that really do help quite a lot! Great post.