Finding Understanding and Acceptance

Psoriasis, oh psoriasis, how you have managed to help me grow as a person. Making life lessons come fast and furious sometimes, about how I treat others and how I treat myself. While I was never an arrogant and nasty person, over the years, psoriasis reminded me to come back down to earth and not be judgmental. Judging is, in my opinion, a human trait and not always done in a nasty way. We look at people and sum them up in some kind of way due to the way we look, dress, love, etc. Maybe this is how we find out groups of people, our friends, our lovers, and everyone in between.

Being on the receiving end of judgment

However that being said, I also believe that people judge rather than gauge others too harshly, and that is where I get a bit of a bee in my bonnet. Whenever I meet new people, I meet them with kindness no matter what they wear. Where they come from, and how they have arrived in my life. I have never judged people for their looks, their skin, their culture, their body types, or much else. Getting to know people and deciding if they are the right people for your circle is the way that I prefer to live my life. What we see on the outside truly only goes so far, it is who we are from the inside that truly matters.

Despite how much kindness I have put into the world, I have been on the receiving end of harsh comments and judgment from people too often. The harshness of people who see something that they do not understand seems to know no bounds. Psoriasis leaves its mark all over my body, more often than not it is something that I have been judged on, ridiculed, and laughed at, more times than I care to mention. I have been asked to leave places, and been refused service. Watching people stare and snigger and make a point of knowing that they have seen my psoriasis and they do not even vaguely approve.

Finding good, accepting people

None of this has been easy, years and years has taught me to be cautious around people and to keep to myself. However that being said, it has also shown me how many truly wonderful people there are around us. People who do not allow frivolous things like marks on your skin to stand in the way of connection.

I often find that these will be people who have experienced something similar. It could be freckles, acne, scars, eczema, blemishes, vitiligo, or anything similar. Something that the world out there sees is different and some people use it to pass judgment. Like us, they have likely experienced some kind of harsh judgment somewhere along the line.

Feeling understood

Being seen and feeling understood is one of my life's greatest treasures. The unspoken understanding that requires no translating of your soul. As someone who has psoriasis, this is invaluable to me. There is nothing that you need to say or do, it is just a silent understanding. When you are faced with this kind of harsh judgment again, you can share your experience and know that you are understood and the impact of what you have experienced has truly been felt.

Go forth and spread kindness and be the change that you want to see in other people.  When I am out meeting new people, it is my favorite thing when there is someone who has something like this. You can automatically out them as ease, by just existing spots and all.