The Emotional Effects of Psoriasis: Feeling Uncomfortable In Your Own Skin

Living with psoriasis is not only physically debilitating, it can also affect a person emotionally, and can be a major part of living with the skin disorder. Self-esteem, mood, interaction with others, sense of well-being, and all-around quality of life can all be causes of the condition.

Let’s face it. The way someone looks tends to affect the way they feel about themselves. Because psoriasis affects the skin by causing lesions, scales, redness and irritation, it visibly affects a person’s appearance. Like acne, rosacea, vitiligo and other skin disorders, the skin irritation can make a person feel uncomfortable, unattractive, or even ugly. Dealing with psoriasis as a child or teenager can be even worse as classmates can be more prone to tease someone for looking different, especially if they don’t understand what the skin condition is. Even as adults, people might see the psoriasis and think it is contagious and stay away from those with the condition. This can quickly lead to embarrassment anger, frustration or sadness which could in turn, affect personal and social relationships with others, participation in activities and even job performance, especially if your psoriasis causes pain, itchiness or other discomfort.

Positive Steps Toward Healthier Skin & A Healthier Life
Below are some positive tips to help psoriasis suffers cope with the emotional effects of the skin condition.

• Educate Yourself – Psoriasis is a chronic skin condition, and although there is no psoriasis cure, there is hope. Speak with your doctor and familiarize yourself with the treatment options available, then develop a routine treatment schedule. Managing your symptoms and keeping the skin condition in remission can positively affect the way you look and feel! Depression and anxiety could potentially make your condition worse, making it even more important to have a regular routine that works for you to keep your psoriasis in check! A popular and effective psoriasis treatment option is phototherapy.
• Educate Others – Let others know about your condition. Explain to them that psoriasis is not contagious, not curable and is a chronic skin disorder. Ignorance often leads to insensitivity so sharing your knowledge of psoriasis can prevent others from feeling nervous or uncomfortable.
• Know you are not alone! Millions of people in the United States suffer from psoriasis pain. Connect with others who have the condition by taking part in message boards or join a support group where you can share your feelings as well as tips and techniques for living with psoriasis.

Click here to learn more about psoriasis treatments with home phototherapy.