Being Seen With Psoriasis

In the years of clans and villages, before the modern world happened, people were shunned for being different. Social acceptance was at an all-time low, and if you did not fit in, you were not wanted.

The meaning of the word shun brings the act of emotional distance or social acceptance. I think through all the years this alone must have been enough to make any person go stir crazy.

I was raised left of the norm so my desire to fit in was not as pressing as it was for my peers. It was a blessing for me, something that truly set me apart from the rest. It made me special if you will, even if it was only I who saw it.

The isolation of psoriasis

Living with psoriasis, we feel cut off from people. We can be excluded from many things as we are not physically or emotionally always able to be there. It can feel as if we are forgotten among all the people who do not suffer from the same condition.

If you feel this way, speak up. Speak your truth and ask them to please still include you, even if you can’t make it. It is also possible that while you read this, you realize you may be doing this to someone else. Make an effort in your every day to look people in the eye when you greet them, even if only in passing.

The power of saying someone's name

In my opinion, we completely underestimate the power of our name being spoken out loud. From birth, it is the one thing that we link our entire identity to. My mom always tells me the story of a friend who went on a solo soul searching trip in India. He spent many months there traveling alone.

On one leg of his journey, he met a family who he spoke with and exchanged names. Knowingly that they would never see each other again, they parted ways. A few months later he was on the road again and struggling to deal with the utter solitude.

In a moment of weakness, he was standing at a train station in rural India, and he heard someone calling his name. When he looked up it was the family that he had befriended months before. In this sea of people, they had not only seen him. They had recognized him and knew his name. This alone brought him to his knees.

The need to be seen

Can you imagine feeling alone frustrated and sad, then out of the sea of darkness, a beacon of light arrives? The feeling of utter relief and love when some see you and call your name out loud. It must be like music to your ears.

Not only do they see you, but they also acknowledge you. As humans, I believe we have a genetic need to feel seen, we need people to say our name, look us in our eyes, and include us. Many people will say, I do not need anyone.

You may feel that way right now, maybe it even gives you a sense of independence. Furthermore, I am not sure it is sustainable long term. I do believe that we need people. Without a doubt, most of us have been there in one way or another, at some stage in our life.

The power of speaking your psoriasis truth

I have found that in my loneliest moments, eye contact, and a greeting from a stranger has the power to lift my spirits. If only for a while. Better yet, let us work together to make everyone feel accounted for and make them know that they matter.

To you who is reading this, I see you. You are truly not alone. Being safe is about being seen and allowed to be who you are to speak your truth.