Loved Ones & Psoriasis Support

What can I tell my family to make them truly understand? Unless your family members have psoriasis as well, I'm sure this question has come to mind.

My psoriasis comes from my father's side of the family. It is genetic. For me, this makes it a bit easier to explain. However, my mom's side of the family still has a hard time understanding.

Finding ways to get psoriasis support

When your psoriasis comes from other areas or situations, it really makes it hard to make your loved ones understand. What do I mean by that statement? Let's say for example that your psoriasis started after having an infection like strep throat. I have heard stories of such.

That's just one example. With your patience and their slow understanding, your family will be able to give you the right support.

Tips on getting loved ones to understand

My mom just could not wrap her head around me having psoriasis. She thought the doctor had to be mistaken. In all honesty, when she divorced my dad, his psoriasis was not yet a problem. Like mine, his psoriasis didn't start until he was much older.

Being a nurse my mom kept going through all the different scenarios medically that she knew about. My brother, sister, and aunts could not understand it either. To say I felt all alone was an understatement. My dad was not in my life at this time. It took a long time to get them all to understand the struggle I was going through.

It really wasn't until I got involved with the National Psoriasis Foundation that I found ways to get them to understand. I want to pass those tips on to you.

Information is power

Send your loved ones to the National Psoriasis Foundation's website and have them read the information there. Sometimes reading the information themselves will help them to understand better. If you think getting something on paper would help, you can also request information about psoriasis from NPF as well.

Another suggestion would be to use the Spoon Theory that Christine Miserandino used to explain her struggles to a friend. That is a visual way of explaining your condition. When things go back to normal you may try taking them to a doctor's appointment.

Ask for help

One of the best ways to help your loved ones understand what you are dealing with is to let them help you. I understand that is hard to do. Maybe this example will help:

My mom learned best when I asked her to help me clean my house. It finally had gotten so bad that I could not stand it anymore. I started out helping her but as more time went on, I got more and more exhausted. She could see me getting slower.

This was a visual effect that she could understand. She could also see how bad it was on my hands to wipe anything down. Furniture polish and plaque psoriasis on hands are not a good combination. I can't wear gloves because that irritates them as well. It truly did give her a better understanding.

Talk openly

I am quite sure that there are other tips out there as well. One of the things I have also done is to talk openly with my family about any doctor visits I have. That is another way of letting them know what I am dealing with when it comes to psoriasis. This is especially true when psoriasis creates other health issues also known as comorbidities.

Being open is a way to help them understand. I know this is hard for most people just like with the idea of asking for help. However, if you can get to that point, it will get your family to a better understanding where they can provide you more support. Support is so important.

More than just dry skin

Others may think psoriasis is just dry skin, but you know it’s much more than that -- and it’s helpful if they do, too. When your loved ones understand how psoriasis affects your everyday life, they’re better able to give you the support you need.

If there are other tips please list them in the comments below so that we all can help support each other.