Is Anxiety Causing Your Skin Problem?

Many people who speak to me about their skin condition, often express a sadness that their doctor or derm fails to acknowledge the emotional impact their skin is having on their life. 

MIND, BODY & SKIN

It's interesting, the mind and body have for a long time been considered as almost two separate entities. Whilst it's sometimes accepted that a skin condition might cause stress, it's less commonly considered that anxiety might be the very thing responsible for our skin problems. 

The fact is, in reality mental disorders and physical diseases frequently go hand in hand. For the first time, psychologists at the University of Basel and Ruhr University Bochum have identified temporal patterns in young people;

• arthritis and diseases of the digestive system are more common after depression
• anxiety disorders tend to be followed by skin diseases

Findings from the study suggest that depression may be a risk factor for the development of cardiovascular diseases such as high blood pressure and coronary heart disease and autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s disease, and psoriasis.

DEPRESSION TWICE AS LIKELY WITH PSORIASIS

It's already understood that people with psoriasis are twice as likely to be depressed as those who don't have it. Even if your psoriasis symptoms are mild, you still be at high risk of depression. In one study, nearly 20% of people with psoriasis had some form of depression.

The survey also showed that 1 in 5 people with psoriasis have faced rejection and felt unwelcome at times because of their condition.

Are you feeling this way? You're not alone. Reach out and join the conversation. There's lots of help, guidance and support available. Speaking with someone who understands can empower you to take back control of your mind, body and skin.

STUDIES

Universität Basel. "Depression in young people affects the stomach, anxiety the skin." ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 24 November 2016.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/11/161124081604.htm

http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0165196