How to Get Support From Your Partner When You’re Living With IPS or Reactive Hypoglycemia
One of the hardest parts of living with IPS, reactive hypoglycemia, or post adrenergic sensitivity is navigating it inside a relationship. Your partner may love you deeply but still have no idea what it feels like when your stomach drops, when your legs shake, when your brain goes foggy, or when your whole system feels like it is crashing even though you just ate. These moments can make you feel fragile, embarrassed, needy, or afraid of becoming a burden. You may worry you are asking for too much. You may worry they will not understand. You may even try to hide your symptoms to keep the peace.
The truth is that your partner cannot support you if they do not know what your body is going through. And you do not need to pretend to be stronger than you are. Real intimacy is built in the moments when you let someone in, not the moments when you hide your needs. Asking for support does not mean you are weak. It means you are human, and you are living with a condition that affects your daily life in ways most people do not see.
One of the most powerful ways to get support from your partner is to explain what you feel in simple, sensory language. Instead of using medical terms or saying “my blood sugar is weird,” describe what is actually happening in your body. You can say things like, “Sometimes after I eat, I feel like my stomach drops and I get lightheaded,” or “My body sends me adrenaline even though I am safe,” or “I get shaky and it scares me, even when the numbers are normal.” When your partner hears what it feels like rather than what it is called, they can understand you more fully.
Another helpful step is to tell your partner what you need in those moments. Most partners want to help but they genuinely do not know what to do. You might need quiet. You might need a warm drink. You might need to slow your breathing with someone next to you. You might need a calm voice saying, “You’re okay, it will pass.” You might need someone to walk outside with you. Be specific, not because you are demanding, but because clarity helps your partner feel competent and connected instead of helpless.
It can also help to explain that episodes are temporary. Many partners panic because they worry something serious is happening. You can reassure them: “It feels intense but it always passes,” or “My body does this sometimes and I just need a minute to settle.” When your partner knows that these episodes come and go, they can stay present without becoming overwhelmed.
This is also a chance to bring your partner into your healing journey. Share the small victories with them. Tell them when a meal went well. Celebrate when symptoms soften. Let them see that you are healing even if you still have difficult moments. This builds trust and makes the journey feel shared instead of private and lonely.
On the emotional side, it is normal to feel afraid that your partner will see you as too much, too sensitive, or too complicated. But in healthy relationships, vulnerability strengthens connection. When you let someone see where you feel shaky, it invites them to show up for you in a new way. It allows love to become active, not just sentimental. Supporting you during an episode is not an inconvenience to the right person. It is an opportunity for closeness, care, and partnership.
If you have a partner who is practical or more task focused, you can explain that what you are experiencing is not a crisis, but a moment where your body needs grounding. If you have a partner who is emotionally attuned, you can lean into their presence and let their calm help settle your system. Every partnership has its own rhythm, but support always begins with communication that is gentle, honest, and rooted in your lived experience.
You deserve to feel safe with the person you love. You deserve support that does not make you feel small. And your partner deserves the chance to understand you, because understanding creates connection. When you let each other in, you turn a frightening experience into an opportunity for closeness. And that closeness is one of the most healing forces your nervous system could ever receive.