Hi,
I don't know if stress is the cause or the result of P.
I read different books where opinion polls and tests were described, and to my amazement I read that there was no or little correlation between the stress factor as a cause and the severity of P.
What the texts did say however, that P causes stress.
I feel that both can be true, that somewhere there is a trigger initiating a recurring loop of P-stress-P-stress-P.
My last employer gave me a very bad time, I had to cope with different kind of simultanious nasty and stressful situations.
Still, the P was moderate in that time and only flared up when I had my vacation or was on an external course/study as far as I remember.
As far as the personality bit concerned:
I agree that people with P might undergo a personality change, though I doubt if it is 100% personality that changes.
If P would have a one on one relation to my personality, then my personality would change along with my psoriasis, going up when the P decreases, and going down as the P increases.
I think personality is more stable and more on a basic level of our mind, starting to form from the day we were born.
I think that the amount of change could depend on the age P sets in and the visibility of P at e.g. childhood.
Because in childhood the foundation of the personality from adulthood is made, though our personalities will keep changing in adulthood as well, becoming more experienced and less uncertain (of uncertainties).
I do agree with you, if P stays or is getting worse with the nasty consequences, that our behaviour tends to change just because of these consequences.
Still I think people could be very aware of this change, just as they are aware that they can't do things any more the way they did in earlier times.
And this in turn may give frustrations which are cropped up inside, also because people with P tend to be ashamed, or even afraid of the reactions they might receive (embarassement). When -IF- these build up frustrations should come out, the force behind it will be greater (comparison with a vulcano?!) than normal. I see this as a possible symptom of P.
Not that I think the impact is small, on the contrary, but if you compare this with the reaction of someone when e.g. he/she receives a present, shares his thoughts, or answers the phone, you will see people respond in their own trusted and familiar ways (also in tackling problems). I think that reflects their true personalities.
People will handle situations in their own way, and if this results in happy, moody, sad, or explosive behaviour than this behaviour is more a result of their personality than part of it.
