How Sweet the Smell

I learned very early in my youth that I was very sensitive to smells. It didn’t matter whether it was a good smell or a bad smell, some things would just start making me itch and scratching like crazy.

One of smells that was very sickening to my stomach was the smell of dandelions. My Aunt would have me pick these for her to make dandelion tea. It was like someone had put itching powder all over me. I would scratch holes in my skin because the itch was so intense.

There were also some smells that would give me a calming feeling. I grew up in a rural area where blackberries were as common as water. My sisters and I would pickle them and eat them by the dozens. I remember them having a pleasant smell and I would have a calming effect when I was picking blackberries and munching on them all day.

More than soothing?

I used to love the sweet aroma of honeysuckle growing up as a kid. It would put me at so much ease. I don’t remember scratching when I was around honeysuckle. I felt at such peace.

I was talking to a doctor about this many years later and he was telling me that blackberries have antioxidants which are good for us and honeysuckle can be great for inflammation. I just remember thinking how great my senses were to sniff out the good stuff.

I had thick patches on my skin. I would use a soothing cleanser to loosen up the scales at times and enjoy the sweet smells. I love sweet smelling oils that made my skin feel soft and smooth. I was in a stress-free zone.

The smell of (stress) success

I can honestly say that certain smells affect my psoriasis and my symptoms. I know for a fact that smelling certain things would be a healing balm for me. When I have flare-ups or am feeling depressed, just smelling a cup of raspberry tea calms me down. It changes my mood and I swear I itch less.

If I want to shift my mood and just want the pain to go away; lighting some scented candles does the trick. Smelling some detergents can cause an immediate flare. I have realized over the years that is it very crucial to just not smell everything. One bad smell could put me out for the whole day. I am going to itch, scratch and be in pain all day.

It’s funny what our senses can detect. I’m grateful that as a little girl that the honeysuckle and the blackberries shaped my nostrils to know that my sense of smell is just as important as my other senses.

Through this journey in life, I have learned to pay attention to what my body is telling me when it comes to certain things. Sometimes smells can calm me down during a flare-up or I can get worse. My best days are sitting at home and enjoying the aromas that bring peace to my inner soul; whether it’s sipping tea or just remembering the days when I embellished the sweet aroma of honeysuckle. It is that aroma that I have revisit so often to bring back those fresh memories as if it was yesterday instead of 50 years ago.

We all know the impact that psoriasis can have on us. It can be both physically and emotionally draining. Do what’s best for you to feel less stress in your life and keep your anxiety is down. It is hard to measure stress in our life, but it has been told to me that stress can make a flare-up get worse.

You can take control and decide what is best for you. Is it your treatment or is it just a smell?