Psoriasis And Entering Your 30s

I was first diagnosed with psoriasis when I was 11. It was spotted by my mum on my scalp and I was taken to the doctor. Since then, I have had various referrals to specialists who diagnosed the condition and I have been working with them ever since on treatments and medications.

Now, if you live in Britain like me you’ll have the benefit of being able to use the NHS to help treat your psoriasis if you can’t afford to pay to see someone privately. But, you do have to jump through hoops and often the process can feel long and protracted, particularly if your skin is flaring badly or causing you other problems.

But please, stick with it. And that goes for anyone, anywhere in the world with this condition. If you’re at the beginning of your psoriasis journey, in the middle or have had it for years, you have to know brighter and better days are ahead.

Psoriasis is a journey

Often with treatments, they won’t work. Or, they’ll sort of work. Perhaps you’ll get relief for a day, two weeks or a year and then find you have a terrible rebound or the medication simply stops. I have been in that position lots of times with treatments. The topicals, the light therapies and even with biologics, it’s taken me many, many years to find true relief. But I have, although that could change.

And that’s what’s important about this journey. And it is a journey. Now I’m entering my 30s, I often wonder what I would say to my younger self, feeling much happier and energised about life.

My number one tip? Stick with your treatment plan. You will get there. It may feel like it’s never going to get better, but you have to remain hopeful that it will. So many people on this website write about their personal experience with psoriasis and they do it because it’s therapy for them and it helps you.

Build your community

Find other people with this condition and you never know, you might find some good advice or research from others suffering with the same problem.

And, then, just note, things will get better mentally too. It can often feel like this condition drags you down constantly. The mental aspect can feel forgotten about because the condition is so visible and physical. So, try and talk through the mental health part with a friend or family member. Or, if you need to, seek professional help.

Psoriasis often feels like a huge burden. And, for me, it jolly well has been. But, it doesn’t have to stop you living your life. It can feel like it rules you, but it need not. So, to anyone wondering what having psoriasis into your 30s is like, I’d say, well, once you get through the fact you have this condition, it’s lifelong but doesn’t need to be a burden, it isn’t anymore.

Live your life. Meet friends. Socialise. Enjoy every minute. Psoriasis can drag you down, but when you start feeling alive again is when life truly starts. It’s chronic, lifelong and will play havoc with you, but it doesn’t need to rule everything. You will get there, you just need to stay on the path and continue being hopeful.