Learning to live with psoriasis —coping mechanisms and programmes

Our understanding of psoriasis is increasing but as yet we have no cure for this
once baffling disease. However, until a cure is found, there are many treatments,
strategies and attitudes that can make life easier and less painful for psoriasis
patients.
If you have suffered from psoriasis for a while, you probably know that stress
can aggravate the condition. Avoiding stress is difficult for anyone living at the
start of the 21st century but to make matters worse, psoriasis itself can heighten
stress, creating a vicious cycle of flare-ups and increased tension. Also, once the
cycle has built up momentum, it can affect your self-esteem and can even cause
problems at work and in your social life. People who have dependence on drugs
or who have alcohol addiction can be driven to use more, again worsening the
psoriasis.
Luckily, there are several ways to avoid or minimize the stresses that life and
psoriasis bring with them, and more stress-minimizers are being developed every
day.
Stress reduction and psoriasis
There are several ways to ease the stresses psoriasis brings with it:
• Make your friends and colleagues aware of your condition, and let
them know how they can help you through the tough times. If you
don’t ask for support, no one will know that you need it. Enlisting
friends’ support is helpful not only on a practical level, but also
because it will make you feel less alone in your disease.
• If you find that your psoriasis worsens at certain times of the year,
avoid making big time commitments for those periods. Try to reduce
the number of deadlines you face and don’t plan large gatherings or
social events at home. It is essential that you have sufficient time to
unwind and relax during psoriasis outbreaks.
• Don’t rely on drugs or alcohol to lift you out of the depression that
sometimes accompanies psoriasis. For one thing, while these
substances might improve your mood temporarily, they may lead to
even greater depression the morning after. Also, alcohol can be
dangerous when taken in combination with some of the drugs used
to treat severe psoriasis.
• Start the day with pleasant thoughts and images. Imagine that your
skin is going to improve and think about the positive aspects of your
life. Picture yourself in a peaceful and tranquil setting, or listen to a
tape of crashing waves or rain-forest noises. Relaxation tapes are
available at many music stores.
If you find that your psoriasis is stressing you out even with all of these exercises
or that everyday stresses are making it worse, your first step should be to visit
your dermatologist. Dermatologists can be supportive and helpful when dealing
with psoriasis, and dermatologists have a lot to be positive about today. Many
new treatments are available to control psoriasis and with correct use of these
treatments, your psoriasis can improve maximally or clear for prolonged periods
of time. Learning about these treatments may help you not only tackle the
physical symptoms of your condition, but may also give you an emotional boost.
Just knowing that help is on the way can be very helpful in itself!
Discussing your psoriasis and its effects with a dermatologist who understands
them can go a long way to relieving anxiety, but more importantly, your
dermatologist can recommend the stress-relief techniques that will work best in
getting your psoriasis under control. He or she may refer you to a
psychotherapist for talk therapy, stress reduction programmes and biofeedback.
In addition to reducing the stress that can aggravate psoriasis, psychotherapy
may help you to change your responses to the psoriasis itself. Working with a
good psychotherapist, you will be able to learn new behaviour patterns that can
enable you to cope more effectively with your emotional concerns and to control
the effect psoriasis has on your social interactions, rather than letting the disease
control you.