Life with Psoriasis.
Besides the ugly appearance of the skin in psoriasis and the physical handicap caused by psoriatic arthritis, there are psychological aspects of the psoriatic patient which also have to be considered. Such a patient experiences helplessness and frustration everyday which is heightened by the knowledge that psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis can never be cured. Living and coping with psoriasis becomes a challenge.
Living with Psoriasis|Dealing with the Stigma.
Though your dermatologist and you know that psoriasis is not contagious, the general population does not. Psoriasis patches and the silvery white flakes on the skin does give the skin a very ugly look. See pictures of psoriasis to get an idea.
There are cases of such patients being turned away from restaurants, hair dressers, clothing stores and such public places. People refuse to shake your hand and become friends. Even old friends desert you. Dating becomes impossible and the situation is much worse when the psoriasis is present on the genitals.
You feel treated like a leper and even the most assured tend to lose their self confidence. Even celebrities like realty star Kim Kardashian, Art Garfunkel from the 70s, model Carydee and others have faced such situations. The key is to accept the situation and once you are able to do that, you will learn to live with it. It will take time but it is necessary to convince yourself in your mind that you have psoriasis and there is nothing you can do to make it go away for ever. Risk factors have to be studied and avoided. Home remedies have to be applied to curb the symptoms. Psychological help from support groups or a councilor will help.
Living with Psoriatic Arthritis.
The pain in the affected joints and the stiffness and immobility makes the patient of psoriatic arthritis incapable of performing daily activities like lifting an object with his hand (if the joints of the hand are affected) or standing for long periods or walking (if the joints of the leg are affected). Spinal involvement too can be troublesome.
Help of support groups will be helpful and can give some psychological support. Learning to handle stress is very important as stress is a factor that can aggravate the disease. Taking the help of a counselor can help reduce stress levels.
Exercise regularly. Help from a physiotherapist in the early stages of the disease can help to prevent or lessen the joint stiffness and sustain the functions of the joint. Besides the treatment, home remedies have to adopted.
The physiotherapist advises the specific exercises for a particular affected joint.
Maintain a proper weight to reduce the weight burden on the joints. Stretching, walking, swimming and building muscles exercises are good for the joints.
Learn to accept the facts and do things you enjoy.
Your action step.
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