Psoriasis, stress and other psychological factors

[Mark J]

Hi,

Last year as part of my bachelors degree I wrote an essay called Psoriasis and Stress: Developing a More In-depth Understanding of the Psychological Causes of Psoriasis. I have decided to post it on here as others may find it useful or interesting. I welcome comments on it, especially if people have further insights on the subject.

I'll copy in the introduction here, and (hopefully) attach the pdf of the whole document.

Best wishes,
Mark

Introduction

   Psoriasis is a complex disease whose primary cause remains unknown. Several factors are thought to play a part in initiating or causing exacerbations of the disease, one of these being stress (Hueber and McInnes, 2007). As the concept of stress can be rather vague (Temoshok, 1993) one of the aims of this essay is to examine this particular contributing factor so as to gain a better understanding of what stress is and how it may relate to this disease.
   The other major aim of this essay is to go beyond the limited concept of stress to explore in more depth the realms of the psyche and how it might relate to psoriasis. There is argument to say that the understanding of this disease has been hindered due to the influence of the mind and emotions not being fully acknowledged (Maguire, 2004). It is hoped that in this essay the balance between the worlds of the psyche and the physical will be, at least in part, restored, and that in so doing a more complete understanding of this disease may be gained.
   In chapter one the condition of psoriasis will be described, including the main features and causes of this disease. In chapter two the role of stress, largely in terms of stressful life events, will be explored in relation to psoriasis. In chapter three the term stress will be expanded upon to include wider psychological aspects in order to give a more in-depth understanding of its role in psoriasis. In chapter four the case of psoriasis will be examined from the viewpoints of family system theory and transactional analysis in order to discover how these may affect the understanding of psychological factors in this disease. In chapter five the role of the skin in the emotional life of a person will be explored and the symbolism of the skin in health and in the pathological state of psoriasis will be discussed with the view to gaining an understanding of the psychical problems underlying it. In the conclusion the understanding gained from the above discourse will be summarised and the implications of it will be discussed.
 

[babyblue]

Thank you Mark, really appreciate that.  Have saved a copy as for me, stress certainly plays its part.  Do you have P .. or what prompted you to research this area?

Many thanks,
Hugs
BB

[Mark J]

You're welcome!

Yes I have P. I did want to write the essay on ALL possible causes of psoriasis and how they may interact and how therefore to go about treating it, but my professor laughed at that idea because I was only allowed 5500 words or less! So I picked the bit I was most interested in - the psychological aspects, and still had to struggle to cut out a lot to keep to the word limit!

PS I love the quote you put in your signature!

Mark

[Beverley]

Read this with interest as I am never totally sure if mine is worsened due to stress. Sometimes it seems that when I the stress is over I have a flare up. At other times not. Also when I am not so stressed I seem to give more time to treating my P so naturally it is less when I am not so stressed. Don't think there are any real answers because everyone responds differently to stress and what they consider to be stressful'

Still it did make interesting reading so thanks x

[babyblue]

You're welcome!

Yes I have P. I did want to write the essay on ALL possible causes of psoriasis and how they may interact and how therefore to go about treating it, but my professor laughed at that idea because I was only allowed 5500 words or less! So I picked the bit I was most interested in - the psychological aspects, and still had to struggle to cut out a lot to keep to the word limit!

PS I love the quote you put in your signature!

Mark

LOL .. can imagine your prof !!   I reckon an indepth study on the possible causes of P would make for at least ten thesis  complete with appendices which would take up just as many pages ..    - it is such a complex condition.

I love quotes, and see that you do too having perused your blog !  Makes for interesting reading!!  You write very well. 

Can I ask what treatment do you use for P?  I'm inclined to think you use natural or alternative treatments?

Hugs
BB

[Mark J]

Beverley: Yes it is a complex one, and not as simple as stress = worse psoriasis. There does seem to be so many different factors and one factor can't be taken in isolation from others. For me I have not noticed a direct correlation between stress and psoriasis, but then stress is a weird one, you don't always recognise it for a start, e.g. "I'M NOT STRESSED!!!"!

BB: I have tried a few different things in the past. Herbal medicine, diet, conventional meds, homeopathy and maybe others. At the moment I am focusing on improving my health as a whole rather than focusing specifically on P. I have become quite interested in integral theory and practice recently (google Ken Wilber) and one of the things recommended with that is to use different approaches simultaneously that each address different aspects of a person as although the approaches focus on completely different things they can all help each other. So I am exercising more, experimenting with my diet, doing meditation, doing shadow work (addressing shadow aspects of the psyche), taking some supplements and researching direct ways to improve specific health issues. It is early days but it feels great doing it anyway (most of the time!)

What approach are you using to treat P?

[purple phish]

I'd like to read this Mark but can't find the attachment...can you help!
Ah! Found it- it only appears when you log in.... off to read

[purple phish]

Very interesting and thought provoking read Mark. Thanks for that. I've never seen a clear cut correlation with stress for myself, or weather etc. But this gave me a new angle on stress to think about. I think the definition of the word 'stress' is quite key.
And because everyone experiences stress in one way or another, it would be impossible to find anyone who didn't have some form of stress in their lives or significant stress events each year.
The family dynamic thing is very interesting and given me plenty to think about on the whole mind/body journey .

[babyblue]

BB: I have tried a few different things in the past. Herbal medicine, diet, conventional meds, homeopathy and maybe others. At the moment I am focusing on improving my health as a whole rather than focusing specifically on P. I have become quite interested in integral theory and practice recently (google Ken Wilber) and one of the things recommended with that is to use different approaches simultaneously that each address different aspects of a person as although the approaches focus on completely different things they can all help each other. So I am exercising more, experimenting with my diet, doing meditation, doing shadow work (addressing shadow aspects of the psyche), taking some supplements and researching direct ways to improve specific health issues. It is early days but it feels great doing it anyway (most of the time!)

What approach are you using to treat P?

Mark,

A little sad to report that I have finally thrown in the towel and requested drugs about a month ago now. (Started MTX just 3 weeks ago)  I had tried ried so many alternatives, including faith healers, herbalists, hot stone therapy combined with acupuncture and dietary changes for a full 18 month period.  More recently, last February I purchased a Green Star Juicer which changed my life but did not alter my P.  I learnt about juicing fresh veggies each morning from MadCat's thread here and while they taste yummy ... it hasn't made a difference, certainly not one that is noticeable anyway other than I feel lots better for that and the smoothie's which I make from fresh and frozen fruits almost daily.  Also cutting out dairy and wheat ... has compensations but I've reverted back to those just now. 

I was away in October and reckoned I picked up a bug - throat and ear infection which spread to chest, on the return plane journey.  My P worsened considerably as a result and antibiotics to treat the infection probably exacerbated my skin condition. 

I have PA and that is more worrying and certainly more debilitating (even on a good day) than P .. which I hide effectively.  I realised, having been advised for some time, that DMARDs would provide some benefit in the long term which is another reason I've chosen that route.  I have had my thyroid removed due to another autoimmune disease ... and there is evidence that many who suffer with P also have a thyroid disorder.

I'm completely in favour of attempting to treat by alternative rather than conventional medicines but every now and then realise that a combination of both may just be called for. 

I wish you success with yours;  I certainly believe that getting  Omega 3 and 6's; probiotics, selenium, zinc, milk thistle, vitamin D could help our bodies deal with it.  For me, P is hereditary - my Dad has it - but not so badly ... his uncle had P ... and of my six siblings, only the one closest to me in age, has a little ... me thinks stress plays its role certainly as I'm known within my family as a 'worrier' ..

Keep up the good work, Thank you for providing your research to us. 

Wishing you success in dealing with P  - am reading Ken Wilber's essays as we speak - had not come across him before ... I love some thinking 'outside the box' .. gonna save him to my favourites to read later when all is quiet !



Hugs
BB

[Mark J]

Thanks purple phish, i'm glad it gave you some inspiration, it did the same for me too when I was reading up for it. I feel the information I came across was a few more jigsaw pieces but that while a few of them fitted together I still haven't worked out how to fit them all together. I don't think I have yet got all the pieces and I feel I need a mind the size of the ocean to be able to fit the jigsaw in! Still, I am happy to have started work on the jigsaw!

I think with stress it is not necessarily the stressful event itself, but rather how it effects us and how we deal with it that counts.

And then of course ignoring the physical while looking and the psychological aspects of disease is just as bad as looking just at the physical. Ah, and there are the social and environmental aspects too. So all in all I would be surprised to see a perfect correlation between stress and psoriasis!