Coping with psoriasis
Psoriasis creates a mixed bag of emotional reactions. Some people show little emotion over having psoriasis, while others react intensely. You may think this is related to the extent of someone's psoriasis, but in reality that doesn't seem to be the case. Whether someone has a few lesions or many, the emotional response is not always the same.
What's important, then, is to simply know you may experience difficult feelings about having psoriasis. This is helpful in determining how successfully you'll cope. Once you understand the extent of your emotions, you can deal with them constructively. Here are some common questions teens ask about coping with psoriasis.
I feel depressed and fear my psoriasis is affecting my self-esteem. Is this normal?
It's not uncommon to experience a sense of shock, confusion, exasperation and anger about what's happening to your skin. These feelings may give way to profound sadness or depression. Accepting your skin's condition is possible, but it takes time, sometimes a long time, to achieve. Therapy or support groups may be of benefit. Or, you can discuss these issues with your doctor or an adult.
What can I do to help myself cope with psoriasis?
Talking about psoriasis can help. It helps to talk to others who have psoriasis because they can relate to specific issues that you may run into on a day-to-day basis, such as wearing swimsuits or shorts in public.
It's important to find someone, whether they have psoriasis or not, who will listen and recognize the strong feelings that accompany psoriasis. Your feelings are real. Don't dismiss them or trivialize them. The power of the emotions that come from having psoriasis should not be underestimated.
Find a dermatologist you can talk to about your feelings. He or she may suggest how to deal with the emotional aspects of psoriasis.
We can put you in touch with other young people who share your concerns.
- The message board will give you the opportunity to interact with others your own age.
- The Pen Pal Club puts people of approximately the same age in touch so they can share information. To belong to the club you (or your parents) need to be an NPF member, and you need to fill out an application. Once your application has been processed, you are sent a list of other young people you may contact by mail, phone or e-mail.
Once I come to terms with my psoriasis, what's next?
One of the hardest things about living with psoriasis is that you go through cycles of strong emotions, usually when the psoriasis goes into remission or reappears. The disease is unpredictable, and the emotions it triggers may occur repeatedly. Common reactions are embarrassment, anger and guilt. You may fear psoriasis returning or getting worse, or being rejected by others. It is important to respect your feelings as they occur and to learn to cope with them, so they do not hold your life hostage.
Will I have to deal with others' reactions to my skin all the time?
Not necessarily-psoriasis is a reality that you have to live with, but it doesn't have to control you. You can avoid dealing directly with others about your psoriasis when you don't have the emotional energy to answer questions. Wearing long sleeves, for example, can make coping in public a lot easier on "low-energy" days.
People are curious when they see something different. You have many choices about how to react to their curiosity. You may choose to ignore their attention, or you can explain that psoriasis is a skin disease that is not contagious.
What about my future?
Your skin doesn't have to be the determining factor in life's important decisions, like your choice of work, whether to attend college, responsibilities for being on your own and the kind of person you want to be. People who have psoriasis have normal lives.
What guiding principles are there to help me cope with psoriasis?
There are some practical things that you can do:
- Ask for support, or no one will know that you need it.
- The more people know about and understand psoriasis, the better and easier it will be for you. Be willing to discuss your psoriasis with others, to the extent that you feel comfortable.
- Real friends will want to know about you and will want to help. They won't be put off by psoriasis.
- There is nothing to be ashamed of or embarrassed about. You didn't do anything wrong. Skin disease has no meaning other than what it is, even if other people attribute odd things to it.
- It is natural to feel anxious, angry and depressed. Friends can help.
- People around you can be very supportive. You can help your friends support you by letting them know that psoriasis is not contagious and that it's the result of skin cells rapidly reproducing.
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