Living With Psoriasis: Emotional Health
Psoriasis isn't just a skin disease.
By R. Morgan Griffin
WebMD Feature
WebMD Feature
Many people think of psoriasis as just a skin disease. Sure, it may be itchy and uncomfortable. But how bad could living with psoriasis really be?
Yet while psoriasis symptoms may be on the skin, psoriasis is no superficial condition. Psoriasis can have a devastating effect on every aspect of a person's life. It can affect your relationships, your sense of self, your romantic life, your job, and your finances.
Despite all the suffering, too many people living with psoriasis aren't getting help. "There are lots of patients out there who have just given up and stopped seeking treatment," says Robert Brodell, MD, a dermatologist at Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine. They're muddling through alone.
And even people in treatment may find that the emotional impact of psoriasis gets overlooked. "I think that the majority of dermatologists still don't talk about the very serious psychosocial issues related to psoriasis," says Alan Menter, MD, president of the International Psoriasis Council. With psoriasis, focusing on the skin alone may not be enough.
What do you need to know about the emotional effect of living with psoriasis? And how can you deal with it? Here are some answers.
So why does psoriasis have such a huge impact? For many living with psoriasis, it's the stigma -- how other people react to you, and how that makes you feel.
Stigma can quickly cause those living with psoriasis to change their behavior. As other people start to notice their skin, they become more self-conscious and anxious. They start covering-up their psoriasis and making excuses for it. They opt out of social situations. Severe stigma can alter a person's whole personality, changing a confident, outgoing person into someone ashamed and withdrawn.
If psoriasis symptoms worsen, the person pulls back even more. It's a snowballing effect that puts people with psoriasis at higher risk of other problems, like anxiety and depression.
"Depression is a very serious issue for people with psoriasis," Menter tells WebMD. One study showed that 25% of people with psoriasis are also depressed. One out of ten people living with psoriasis has thought about suicide.
Of course, most people living with psoriasis don't become clinically depressed. But even mild cases can result in chronic stress. Menter says that people who are between flares or who only have minor symptoms still live with a basic anxiety: what if it gets worse?
All that psoriasis stress doesn't only affect your emotional health. Stress is also a well-established trigger for flares.
"Stress makes the psoriasis worse, and the psoriasis makes the stress worse," says Brodell. "You get into a vicious cycle."
To view the whole article please visit: http://www.webmd.com
Yet while psoriasis symptoms may be on the skin, psoriasis is no superficial condition. Psoriasis can have a devastating effect on every aspect of a person's life. It can affect your relationships, your sense of self, your romantic life, your job, and your finances.
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And even people in treatment may find that the emotional impact of psoriasis gets overlooked. "I think that the majority of dermatologists still don't talk about the very serious psychosocial issues related to psoriasis," says Alan Menter, MD, president of the International Psoriasis Council. With psoriasis, focusing on the skin alone may not be enough.
What do you need to know about the emotional effect of living with psoriasis? And how can you deal with it? Here are some answers.
Stigma of Psoriasis
Research shows the huge impact that psoriasis can have. Experts cite studies that track the quality of life of people with various illnesses. "Psychologically, the only disease that debilitates people more than psoriasis is depression," says Mark Lebwohl, MD, chairman of the medical board of the National Psoriasis Foundation. Psoriasis has a more profound and more negative effect on person's well-being than every other disease --including diabetes and cancer.So why does psoriasis have such a huge impact? For many living with psoriasis, it's the stigma -- how other people react to you, and how that makes you feel.
Stigma can quickly cause those living with psoriasis to change their behavior. As other people start to notice their skin, they become more self-conscious and anxious. They start covering-up their psoriasis and making excuses for it. They opt out of social situations. Severe stigma can alter a person's whole personality, changing a confident, outgoing person into someone ashamed and withdrawn.
If psoriasis symptoms worsen, the person pulls back even more. It's a snowballing effect that puts people with psoriasis at higher risk of other problems, like anxiety and depression.
"Depression is a very serious issue for people with psoriasis," Menter tells WebMD. One study showed that 25% of people with psoriasis are also depressed. One out of ten people living with psoriasis has thought about suicide.
Of course, most people living with psoriasis don't become clinically depressed. But even mild cases can result in chronic stress. Menter says that people who are between flares or who only have minor symptoms still live with a basic anxiety: what if it gets worse?
All that psoriasis stress doesn't only affect your emotional health. Stress is also a well-established trigger for flares.
"Stress makes the psoriasis worse, and the psoriasis makes the stress worse," says Brodell. "You get into a vicious cycle."
To view the whole article please visit: http://www.webmd.com
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