Reclaiming My Body: Intimacy and Self-Love After Stroke
💥 When Your Body Changes, So Does Everything
My stroke didn’t just affect my brain. It touched every inch of my body — how it moved, how it felt, how it looked, how I experienced pleasure, pain, and presence. Suddenly, mirrors became strangers. My own skin felt unfamiliar.
I grieved the body I once had. But slowly… gently… I started falling in love again. With the body that fought to keep me here.
❤️🔥 Rediscovering Sensuality
Intimacy after stroke isn’t always easy. Fatigue, muscle changes, and emotional scars can all dull the spark. But I learned that intimacy isn’t just about sex — it’s about connection. To your partner. And more importantly, to yourself.
- 💆 Touch without expectation
- 💬 Honest communication with your partner
- 🕯️ Creating small rituals of sensuality — candles, baths, slow dancing in the living room
Your body is still worthy of love, pleasure, and tenderness. Always.
🪞 Radical Self-Love, One Step at a Time
I started taking selfies again. Not for social media, just for me. I practiced mirror affirmations, like:
“This body has survived so much. I honor it.”
I wore soft fabrics that made me feel safe and beautiful. I danced, even if it was slow and awkward. These small acts of rebellion against shame built a bridge back to myself.
💌 A Note to Anyone Struggling
If you’re feeling disconnected from your body after stroke — please know you’re not broken. You’re healing. You’re rewiring. You are still deserving of desire, of joy, of being seen fully and tenderly.
This body has been through battle — and it’s still yours. It’s still beautiful.