Author Topic: 13 and living with psoriasis (Read 508 times)

animelover527 · « **on:** April 17, 2011, 09:42:25 PM »

I've had psoriasis since I was 11 but only last year learned what it was. I've gone for light therapy for three months and it went but only a few months later it appeared again, most of the times I feel really low and I have really bad mood swings where I will be crying on moment then happy the next or happy one moment then lashing out at someone the next, I've been using so many different types of creams and ointments but none of them seemed to work the only thing that worked was the therapy but I missed a lot of school during that times and missed exams. I feel different and I guess my life took a turn when I found out I had it. My world turned upside down. Not a lot of people know I have it. I tend to get stressed very easily and that makes it worse. I don't know what to do. I've started to cry a lot recently and it's not making things better. I don't feel comfortable in my own skin any more, I don't go out any more and I had to change my own fashion style and wear clothes that cover me. I'm a girl, I want to be able to show my legs and arms but I can't because I'm very self-conscience. I just feel tired all the time and I do try to not let it take over my life but I can't help it, I really do try to live my normal every day life but it's hard, I just don't feel the same any more. I feel like my life's over and the worse thing is it's for life. I don't know how to cope, with me I tend to make jokes out of things because I can't cope otherwise but I can't make a joke about this, it's in my head 24/7 and I try not to think about it but it's so hard. I just feel tired of trying if it's only going to come back in a few months. I just feel like my old life's been stolen and I have to live this one. It's tiring to worry about my skin everyday. I just want to feel normal again, I would do anything to feel normal again.

arizona · « **Reply #1 on:** April 17, 2011, 10:21:01 PM »

You sound so fed up my heart goes out to you, i didnt have this when i was your age but i do remember a girl at school who did and she joined the school at 13. Its a difficult enough age to be without having something like this to deal with as well. When she came to the school she was very quiet and had very bad p, i remember she had to wear cotton gloves because her hands were so bad as well. People at school didnt understand about it but she told us about it and how it made her feel to feel she was different from everyone else there. That helped, it was easier for her too. I hope you are able to let people there know how you are feeling too, is there a teacher you can speak to about it as well?

Also, are you still seeing a dermatologist at the hospital because it sounds like you could do with a proper chat with them and let them know just how badly this is making your life just now, they may be able to try something different, there are many new meds now but i know they may not want to try some of them because of your age, but no harm in trying eh?
Let us know how you get on, dont suffer in silence remember

purple phish · « **Reply #2 on:** April 17, 2011, 10:47:01 PM »

Hi Animelover
it really isn't fair is it

. I'm really sorry you are feeling so miserable. Psoriasis is such a difficult disease to cope with and feeling tired makes everything hard.
Do you have anyone you can talk to? Is there anyone at school who you can trust to say how you feel?
Keep talking to us here at PHO. We at least can understand what it is like to have P and know how it can affect your life and leave you feeling.
Have you seen there is a board for younger sufferers, where you might fins people nearer your own age too who are going through the same thing, or did recently which might help even more. (You can post on all the boards not just that one though, I was just pointing it out in case you hadn't seen it).
Like arizona said - don't suffer in silence.

AnitaG · « **Reply #3 on:** April 17, 2011, 11:09:10 PM »

Hi Animelover and welcome to PHO

I really feel for you, I had P at your age, all over my face and I remember what a difficult time it was.. unfortunately P is something that you have and you just need to find a way to live with that..

For me, hiding it wasnt an option so I was matter of fact about it, i told people what it was (normally had to spell it for them too

) and I found that the more matter of fact i was about it the more people just accepted it.. they made no judgements.. I've found that other people take their cues from you, if you act embarrassed then so will they, if you are upfront, open and accepting then so are they! You could look at it as an opportunity to educate people not just on P but on how wrong it is to judge others by appearance.

The path to acceptance is by realising that P doesnt change who you are as a person, any one can get it, it doenst categorise you in any way - you can be nice, nasty, kind, mean, generous, sly - P doesnt care and if your skin cleared tomorrow you will still be exactly the same person you are today.. just the same as any other person! Once you realise this it is much easier to live with.

I know its difficult but try to not let it rule your life, still do the things you like doing and concentrate on dealing with the physical aspects of P rather than concentrating on what other people will think of you for having it - I learned the hard way that people are much more likely to judge you on what brand of shoes you are wearing rather than what your skin is like, especially at your age..

So wear the clothes you like and be as girly as you want to be!

As for the physical symptoms, a warm bath can help the itch, and its also important to moisturise! If you dont have a derm yet, ask your doctor for a referral and work out a plan with them to try all the options available, you may be lucky and find something that gives you a good measure of control! Also, make sure you give your school as much info as you can, they will help you catch up what you've missed!

I hope you find a way to cope and please do keep in mind that you are not alone

animelover527 · « **Reply #4 on:** April 18, 2011, 09:41:27 AM »

Thank you everyone, it's been really helpful to talk to people who understand me and where I'm coming from, I have seen a dermatologist but that was only when I was going the light therapy treatment, I don't like to talk about it I'm not sure why it's quite a sensitive topic to me, I'm one of those people who don't like talking about their feelings always put other people's needs before their own. I don't like attention so when I'm ill or something I don't like people fussing over me. I don't focus on myself that much but I've reached a limit. I feel too embarrassed to tell my teachers but my head teacher knows and my head of year knows but that's all. My family don't understand it and when they try to help it doesn't really work because I know they don't understand. I do keep on trying to see my doctor but my doctor's an idiot, he just keeps prescribing me the sames creams and ointments over and over again. I'm not sure how to see a dermatologist, do I have to set up an appointment or should my doctor make an appointment for me?

AnitaG · « **Reply #5 on:** April 18, 2011, 10:11:23 AM »

Your doctor has to refer you to a derm, so go back and see him and take your mum with you, get her to insist on a referral!

Before you go to docs tho, write a letter putting down exactly how you feel and give it to your mum, or if you feel you cant do that, bring your mum to PHO and show her some of the threads on here (including this one) - the more information she has, the more she can understand what its like, then once you have her on board she will take on the GP for you

When I was just a bit older than you, I kept a diary detailing all the treatments I had had and what effect they had had and how it made me feel, i would give this to every new gp/derm and my parents used to read it too and I found this a useful tool to help them understand what I was unable to say to them. Its not making a fuss but is a good way to communicate what you find difficult to say. This might be worth a try for you and hopefully, you will reach a stage where you can also show it to your teachers and give them some understanding too.

One thing I found was that when I got more open about my P I was discovering more and more people who either had it or a family member did, or their neighbour etc etc (no internet in those days

) which was quite a comfort!

Fey390 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 23, 2011, 09:48:33 AM »

Hi Anilmelover,
I also had psoriasis start at a very young age, and like you I was very embarrassed as I didnt feel the same as everyone else. I have to agree with Anita G though. I found the best way to deal with it was to meet it head on and tell people what it was and that it is not catching etc. It was difficult at first, but now that all my family, friends and collegues know, it is not a subject that comes up to embarass me, and I can also forget it in most of my everyday life.

I am having a flare up all over my body at the moment, and being a swimming teacher, it is on show all of the time. I have got over this by making sure that during my introduction speach at the beginning of a term, I enclude a short sentence about my skin. It is then no longer 'the elephant in the room' and I can get on with my job.

It will get easier as you learn to cope with it yourself I promise.

Northcountryboy · « **Reply #7 on:** April 23, 2011, 10:33:24 PM »

Get your mind right doll. I have had p since i was six. I am now 28. Its difficult at times. But you gotta understand, we gotta try twice as hard. But its worth it, the effort is worth it. As what would be the result if we didtn try?