Maintaining a Healthy Mind

HS can affect all aspects of life, including your feeling of wellbeing and ability to socialise.1,2 It is important to remember that you are not alone and there are options available for you.

 Maintaining a Healthy Mind

Everyday tips:

  • Try to be aware of your emotions and take note of what the triggers are. Write them down, exactly as you experience them – this can help you share your feelings with your doctor or a trusted loved one.
  • Celebrate your achievements on a given day. Accept any setbacks.
  • Join an HS support group. You may feel more comfortable talking openly about your feelings with people in the same situation as you.
MINDFULNESS
MINDFULNESS
 

Mindfulness techniques have been shown to help with anxiety in people living with skin conditions.3,4

Below are some tips and exercises to help you become more "mindful":

  • Try something new; something small like going somewhere different at lunchtime.
  • Practice sitting silently and paying attention to your thoughts, how your body sounds and feels as you take deep breaths.
  • If your focus shifts to areas of your body that are painful or affected by HS, try to take a step back and focus on your breathing, or the sounds and sensations of what's going on around you.
These articles might interest you
 Wound Care
Tips for wound care
 Pain Management
Tips for Pain Management
 Healthy Living
Tips for Staying Active

REFERENCES:

  1. Margesson L, et al. Hidradenitis suppurativa. Best Pract Res Clin Obstet Gynaecol 2014;28(7):1013-27.
  2. Szepietowski, J C et al. Acta Derm Venereol 2010 ;90(3):264-8.
  3. NHS Choices. Mindfulness NHS Choices. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/stress-anxiety-depression/mindfulness Accessed April 2021.
  4. Montgomery K, et al. The importance of mindfulness in psychosocial distress and quality of life in dermatology patients. Br J Dermatol 2016;175(5):930-936.

AU-HUM-210057 August 2022.