Emotional Intimacy and Quality of Life

Human beings have a natural desire to be touched, hugged, caressed, and loved. Whether this is achieved through a partner or close friends, most people desire close relationships that involve a certain level of intimacy. Sexuality and intimacy They are not questions of life and death, but they are very real questions of quality of life. One possible concern for anyone is how a disease and its treatment will affect their current or future relationships, including the effects on sexuality. Sexuality involves physical, psychological, social, emotional, and spiritual factors. It includes one's self-image, body image, reproductive capacity, emotional intimacy, feelings of sensuality, and sexual performance. Talking about your sexuality concerns may be important to your quality of life in areas that are not covered. limit sexual performance, such as feeling comfortable with yourself and enjoying close communication with beings loved ones.

Concerns related to sexuality may arise from the physical aspects of the diagnosed disease and / or its treatment, as well as from the emotional aspects. Anger, guilt, or worry (about the disease and its survival, treatment, or financial issues) may affect sexuality.

Some physical or emotional effects resolve over time or when treatment ends. Other effects may last longer.

Let's see some Ways in which a disease or its treatment affects sexuality and intimacy:

• You may feel that your self-esteem and confidence are not the same as they were before your diagnosis.
• You may experience anxiety and / or depression and may not be interested in intimate relationships at all.
• You may feel ashamed or worried that others will see you differently due to physical changes, such as weight gain or loss, discomfort, complaints.
• You may have few occasions for intimate moments with your partner due to hospitalization or the treatment program.
• You may even need more intimacy with yourself than with your partner.

Sexuality and intimacy are often overlooked talking points in healthcare settings. Doctors do not always offer information about sexuality to their patients, when this happens it is not because sexuality and intimacy are not important. You may need to talk about it and ask questions.

Some Questions for healthcare professionals:

• Will my treatment affect my ability to have sex? If so, how long will this effect last?
• Is it safe for me to have sex during my treatment period?
• Will my illness or treatment affect my ability to become pregnant or father a child?
• Where can I get information about fertility and family planning options?
• Where can I get information about nutrition, exercise and / or care? Who else can I talk to about this topic? Are there any counselors, sex therapists, support groups, or other support services in my health area?

Members of your medical team can refer you to other health professionals. Depending on your situation, it may be helpful to consult with a gynecologist, urologist, social worker, or sex therapist. You may want information from support organizations, including information on how to maintain intimacy in your relationships. You may find it helpful to talk to other people with the same problem to find out how they are handling self-image issues and other aspects of their sexuality. You may also find it helpful to talk to a good friend, family member, or spiritual advisor about how you are feeling.

Then to help you talk to healthcare professionals, you may want to:

• Bringing your partner to your next doctor visit, giving your partner a chance to ask any questions she may have.
• Ask your doctor to use models or drawings to help convey the information.
• Ask if the questions and answers can be recorded, so that you can listen to the information again as many times as you need later.
• Keep a journal or notebook of questions to ask your doctor at your next visit, leaving space for the answers so that you can refer to them later.

Talk about experiences, feelings, and concerns with your partner, allowing both of you to talking and listening may be an important part of maintaining or improving your quality of lifetime. Your partner may have concerns of his own, such as the fear of hurting his self-esteem or feeling guilty or selfish for wanting to be intimate with you or not knowing how to talk about your feelings. You may want to talk about seeking the help of a professional, such as a counselor or couples therapist, that your doctor may refer you to. Intimacy consists of an emotion of connection and familiarity between two beings. The foundation of emotional intimacy takes time, patience and commitment. It is possible that a relationship that contains emotional intimacy could end in a sexual relationship. However, this is not always the case.

There are beliefs about the demonstration of emotional intimacy between two people, such as walking with the hands intertwined or embraced by placing one arm on the other's shoulder, being limited exclusively to intercourse sex-erotic. Now if you can't love yourself and be comfortable and enjoy your loneliness, how can you truly want and enjoy the company of your partner?

Emotional intimacy and sexual intimacy have always been so associated that many people believe that they are the same thing, so when faced with a health diagnosis, they first think about the possible limitations in this sense and not about reality in maintaining the emotional intimacy that would make them overcome these possible limitations and would continue to provide quality of life not only to the couple's relationship but also to their own health. An example of this is precisely the touch in emotional intimacy, since it has the power to heal physically and emotionally, while its lack has the opposite effects. Intimate emotional touch represents many things. It is comforting, reassuring, and healing. Therefore, when we want to maintain the quality of life both in the relationship and in our own health, it is necessary and in fact possible, to dedicate more time to being together, communicate openly, and enjoy other ways of experiencing physical closeness: touching, kissing, pampering, holding hands, giving massages, or simply "Go for a walk together."

This article is merely informative, in Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.