Anxiety, Depression, and Hyperhidrosis

Abstract

The majority of patients with hyperhidrosis classify their quality of life as poor or very poor. Because the symptoms are manifested through the skin, the individual has his emotions exposed to others, often transforming a common social situation into an embarrassment. In general, the impact on patients’ quality of life depends not only on the sweat intensity, but also how well patients adapt to this situation, their psychic resources to deal with adverse situations, and the psychosocial context in which they are inserted. Because hyperhidrosis predominantly arises in childhood and adolescence, it can become responsible for greater damage to the mental health of patients with it, which in turn negatively influences the evolution of the disease. Because it causes high suffering and loss in the patient’s relational life, psychotherapy is an important form of treatment and follow-up, since it provides host, strengthening, and helps the development of skills for facing the adverse situations experienced by these patients.