Psoriasis and stress

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by Guest Posts on Tue Sep 07, 2021 1:31 pm

Psoriasis and stress

At the moment I seem to be okay but when I am stressed or upset then the psoriasis comes back with a vengeance. I find quiet meditation to be helpful but would like to have other options (Sunlight, UV, creams have all been tried to little avail). Meditation helps somewhat but is there any way to get rid of it as it makes me body conscious.
Any advice would be helpful.
Thank you.
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professor andrew r thompson
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by professor andrew r thompson on Sun Sep 19, 2021 11:00 am

Re: Psoriasis and stress

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 tasks to personal expectations, to worries about our health. Stress triggers very real hormonal changes in our body which in the short term help us to manage the actual and perceived demands. However, if these physiological systems stay activated for lengthy periods, then this can have significant impacts upon health, including skin health.

We all have different types of coping strategies, and reflecting on what strategies we are using and considering whether we need to modify these can be a useful way of beginning to reduce both the impact and occurrence of stress. Which strategies help you cope when you're less stressed - can you form a plan to do more of these? Are there strategies that you're using currently that are acting like double edged swords, such as self-medicating? What would you advise a friend who was using such strategies, can you begin to change these? Very simple tips on stress management can be found here: https://www.nhs.uk/every-mind-matters/m ... lsrc=aw.ds

Meditation can certainly be useful as an arousal reduction technique and also perhaps more valuably as part of building overall mindfulness. Meditation conducted as part of building mindfulness may work in part by helping us to focused in the present, which can help us reduce some of the impacts of our naturally wandering minds. Some further information on some strategies can be found on the British Association of Dermatologists website - here: http://skinsupport.org.uk/content/support-materials

There are many strategies to manage stress, including problem solving so as to manage the sources of stress. For example, experiencing stress as a result of aspects of work might be tackled by opening discussions with a manager or with human resources, or by making personal changes to the way we engage with work. The point I'm making here is that managing stress is not always about trying to manage the symptoms. That said there are lots of tried and tested methods of stress reduction that can be used, and if you live in the UK, access to free general support can usually be gained via self-referral to NHS IAPT services or speaking to your GP. In a few areas there are also dedicated psychological support services attached to dermatology services. So if further advice, help, or tips are needed I'd encourage people to make use of NHS services.
Dr Andrew Thompson
Registered Clinical and Registered Health Psychologist - DClinPsy., C.Psychol., AFBPsS., DipCAT., FHEA., BA(Hons)

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... ompson.php

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Dr Sree Krishna
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by Dr Sree Krishna on Mon Sep 20, 2021 10:44 am

Re: Psoriasis and stress

Hi there,

As you you have found, the skin and mind are intrinsically linked. Sometimes, the milder treatments (e.g. creams and light) just aren't good enough.

As dermatologists, we have access to extremely potent treatments that will likely control the psoriasis very effectively.

You might find this leaflet helpful. https://www.bad.org.uk/shared/get-file. ... e=document

Best wishes,

Sree
Dr Sreedhar Krishna
Consultant Dermatologist and Honorary Clinical Fellow in Dermatopathology

https://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/c ... ar-krishna

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