Gabby Bachner, a pharmacy student at the University of Georgia in Athens, found that she had eczema shortly after graduating from college. The specific type she has, called contact dermatitis, occurs when her body touches something that is causing an allergic reaction. Bachner, who works in a pharmacy, found that her scrubs and certain lotions triggered her eczema.
Eczema can cause a number of uncomfortable symptoms, including:
- Itchy, dry, cracked, flaky, or bumpy skin
- Blow
- swelling
- Rashes
These changes can also have emotional and mental effects. Bachner says her eczema flares definitely hurt her self-esteem.
Eczema and mental health
Your skin is your largest organ, so appearance issues can have psychological effects.
Lower self-confidence can affect your mental health. “With eczema in children and adults, we know that depression, ADHD, anxiety and also many sleep disorders occur more frequently,” says Dr. med. Mamta Jhaveri, Assistant Professor of Dermatology at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore.
People with eczema are more likely to develop depression and anxiety than people without eczema. The chances are even higher if you have severe eczema. This can lead to a frustrating cycle. “Stress makes eczema worse, and eczema makes stress worse,” says Jhaveri.
There are three ways eczema can affect your mental health:
- Chronic itching. Eczema often causes itching that you cannot control. When out in public, your scratches can be difficult to hide. This could lead to stress, anxiety, and worry about what others are thinking.
- Inflammation. Chronic conditions like eczema result from inflammation. Jhaveri says it can zap your energy levels and make it difficult for you to focus.
- Visible symptoms. Eczema often affects areas that are difficult to cover, such as the face, eyes, hands, or limbs. These areas can get swollen, flaky, cracked, or bloody if it could affect your self-image.
According to Bachner, past vacations with eczema were never stress-free. She often got a pedicure before traveling. Lotions used during treatment caused eczema flares on her legs. And since many eczema therapies don’t work right away, she couldn’t get the outbreak under control before she left. That made it difficult to feel safe in a bathing suit. She was afraid that people would mistake her condition for an infection.
The combination of lower confidence, itching, and fatigue can make it difficult to be with others during a torch. People with eczema often long for a comfortable and private environment. You may need to stay home and take care of your skin.
“It leads to a lot of missed work, missed school and sometimes people choose not to socialize,” says Jhaveri. “Eczema can also affect intimacy. … If it affects the face or intimate parts, it can affect relationships. “
How to feel safer
When treating someone with eczema, Jhaveri also uses anxiety and depression rating scales to measure how the skin condition affects mental health.
However, the first line of treatment is always eczema control. “Sometimes that in itself helps with the mental side effects,” she says. When the skin symptoms don’t go away, Jhaveri helps people find more support.
The path to trust building is a little different for children than it is for adults. There are a few things parents can do to improve their child’s self-image:
- Ask about their peers. It is important for parents of a child with eczema to ask about their school and social life. If you think your child’s peers are bullying them about their condition, speak up as soon as possible.
- Work on sleep. You and your child’s doctor can help resolve your child’s eczema-related sleep problems. You may suggest that your child take melatonin supplements or use anti-itch medication to help them sleep better at night. Good sleep is directly linked to a child’s self-image. With more sleep, they feel more secure and focus on school, which strengthens their self-image.
These steps can help adults improve their mental health and body image:
- Get professional help. If eczema is affecting your confidence, talk to a therapist or psychiatrist. They can help you regain confidence and tips on how to deal with the mental aspect of a skin condition.
- Join online support groups. Jhaveri often suggests that people with eczema join support groups on Facebook or join the National Eczema Association. These outlets help you connect with others and share tips to gain trust.
- Talk to your family. If you are interested, it can be helpful to tell your close family how eczema affects you emotionally. That way, you have someone to talk to or to rely on when your self-image is not at its highest.
- Practice mindful meditation. Stress relief can play a huge role in your body image and confidence. Jhaveri suggests meditation or another relaxation technique, such as yoga, tai chi, or music therapy. All of these things can help you reconnect with yourself, she says. This can help you understand the effects eczema has on your self-image.
- Write one down. Jhaveri says it might be helpful to write a story or journal about how your skin condition affects you. When you share it with someone you are close to, you can let go of bottled emotions and accept your feelings.
- Take a step back. Bachner says one of the best things she does to regain her confidence is to think logically. It’s easy to feel that everyone is focused on your eczema, she says. But most people won’t even notice your torches if you don’t point them out. It’s important to remember that self-confidence comes from self-acceptance. “It’s not your fault that you have eczema,” says Bachner. “Try not to let that stop you. … People don’t care what you think they are. “
swell
SWELL:
Gabby Bachner, Cumming, GA.
Mayo Clinic: “Atopic Dermatitis (Eczema)”, “Contact Dermatitis”.
National Health Service: “Atopic Eczema”.
American Psychological Association: “The Connection Between Skin and Psychology.”
American Academy of Allergy: “Adults with Atopic Eczema at Risk for Anxiety and Depression.”
Mamta Jhaveri, MD, MS, Assistant Professor of Dermatology, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore.
© 2021 WebMD, LLC. All rights reserved.
Comments are closed.