Psoriasis and My Mental Health

There is so much in our lives that we don’t want to talk about or share with anyone. This includes our closest friends. When living with psoriasis as long as I have, the only thing I can say is that I have been through the wringer and most times I was alone in the wringer alone.

Mental health choices with psoriasis

I always kept to myself and never wanted to be part of the in-crowd. I was covered in psoriasis from head to toe and had my routine down to a science. I only went out at night to socialize with people. I went to the doctor the same day, every time, each month.

I even had my clothes pick out every day because the colors had to go with my psoriasis. I was comfortable being at ease in my own world.

How psoriasis affected my mental health

Throughout my life, I can recall times being stared at and pointed at. It made me depressed and sad. I felt so alone. I grew up in a small town where no one person had psoriasis. I got turned down for every job I applied for. I never wanted to leave home.

At first, I thought it was because of the color of my skin, but it wasn’t. They didn’t like the fact that I had “stuff” on my skin. Someone actually said this to me.

Treating my mental health

I wanted so much to fit in with society, but I felt as long as I had this skin disease, it would never happen. I tried taking dance, cooking and sewing lessons. Unfortunately, people never saw me as a person, only someone with psoriasis. I always covered up.

I made the time to see a therapist, who helped me through some of my anxieties. He told me at the time that because my life had been so taxing, my brain was having a hard time coping. He said I was having too many symptoms at once. That being stressed with no one to talk too and feeling hopeless was just too much for my brain to handle.

Advice for improving mental health

If you are going through anything in life and just can’t get it right, please see someone to help you cope. Of course, It’s a big step to admit that something is not right with you. My therapist taught me coping skills so I could live a healthier lifestyle.

The one thing that we didn’t talk about back in the day was mental stability. It’s something I hear daily now. You never know what a person is dealing with. On the outside, I had it all together but on the inside, I was dying.

Offering mental health support

Let’s start supporting one another. We shouldn’t put a stigma on anyone or pass judgment. This is why so many people shy away from getting help. If you see that someone is going through something, be their rock and someone they can lend on.

Having to deal with a mental illness and working through mental health is hard enough. I am living proof of that. We all need help at times.