Itch can be really upsetting and some of my research indicates that worrying associated with it can be implicated in experiencing further distress and possibly further trigger scratching behaviour. There are a number of psychological management techniques and therapies that can help with management ...

Hello Lisa, it is sadly not unusual for HS to be diagnosed late. You are also not alone in the HS impacting upon your mood. You've taken an important step in being open about this with yourself. The good news it that it is never too late to benefit from psychological support. I'd recommend talking w...

Hello Tania, with any change in your physical or emotional health it is worth seeking a consultation. It is possible that you might have a treatable condition that your GP can quickly prescribe to address. However, as you also mention stress, it would be worth being open with your GP about this and ...

As Dr Mizara suggests, psychological talking therapies can help with skin conditions, so always useful to suggest talking to your GP. General stress management techniques can also help and there are now lots of apps including those providing access to mindfulness based stress reduction and other tri...

Dear Pat, I agree with Dr Mizara, it is certainly worth talking to your GP (lots of support available now for managing eczema, low mood, and skin picking). Psychological therapy and some self-help approaches can assist with skin picking, and can also assist in relieving stress and low mood. Info on ...

Thank you for sharing your post. I don't think you are alone in being upset by your skin condition, and it's helpful to other people as well as yourself to share that skin conditions can be stressful. Having lack of clarity about the diagnosis is understandably worrying, and it is important to keep ...

Dear Paul, Itch can be very frustrating and trigger stress and of course scratching. This can set up vicious cycles of itch-stress & scratching-inflammation/skin damage-itch..... scratching can in some cases also become a habit and occur when there is minimal or lower levels of itch. There's a n...

Thank you for raising this issue. Stress is very common and is well known to play a role is psoriasis. Stress typically occurs when we experience a sense that we're beginning to become unable to manage the internal or external demands placed upon us. These demands can of course be anything from work...

Thank you for your question. Our recent research that examined primary care records indicates that a significant minority of people with alopecia have pre-existing psychological distress prior to developing alopecia, and in addition a significant minority go on to develop psychological distress for ...

Hello I'm sorry to hear of your frustration on getting a diagnosis and treatment for your condition. We tend to recommend that in situations where there has not been a clear diagnosis it is worth providing comprehensive assessment. This would normally include full physical and psychological assesmen...