When I look upon my reflection in the mirror, I see but a shell of my former self. Is this because I'm a depressed, self-loathing, infected individual who doesn't posses enough strength to stand on his own, or because I feel so completely empty inside that it hurts, as if something was destroyed or misplaced within me. Maybe it's a combination of the two, but whatever it is it effects me greatly. I often wonder why I'm always exhausted, why people see and view me the way they do, why I can't stay motivated for anything, and why thoughts of failure constantly and consistently dilute my mind and intoxicate my brain. I do what I must to push these thoughts aside and practice positive affirmations, but one can only do so much by and for themselves before the weight baring down on them finally kneels them and collapses them to the ground. Life is not perfect, I understand this, and finally I've begun to see my calling. Perfectionism is mere bull crap that should be dismissed at first thought, and should be replaced by the thought that because NOTHING is PERFECT...everything is actually unique and special. Nature isn't perfect, and it was countless trials and errors to create this beautiful world we see today, constant change to create this amazing earth that has had so much blood spilled upon it that it saddens me to the very core.
Anyways, the point of all this is to tell you that no matter where you are in life, and no matter how hard any weight is pushing on you, trying to make you collapse and give in; don't, stand strong and fight for everything you passionately believe in. My calling is to do my part to change this earth, and as I think more and more about it I feel this enlightening feeling throughout my entire body, a feeling so strong that it actually makes me shed a tear. Psoriasis may be one of the worst diseases in the category of life hampering, but I want each and every one of you to know that no matter what, through thick and thin, I'm standing there right by you.
The greatest boost of spirit, I hope you all may let it help you as much as it has helped me:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Us-TVg40ExM
Sincerely,
Derek
Well, first off let me explain that I personally have psoriasis and despise it greatly! It has destroyed my self-conscious, and is doing a really good job destroying my social life as well.
Psoriasis is a common chronic, relapsing, non-contagious skin disorder characterised by red patchy lesions, with grey or silvery-white, dry scales, which are frequently painful, itchy and may bleed. Lesions are typically distributed symmetrically on the scalp, elbows, knees and essentially any part of the body. It's a condition where skin is replaced more rapidly than normal skin; the skin cycle that generally takes 28 days to complete in normal skin will take around four days to complete with psoriasis. It is often characterized by painful, itchy skin, which in some cases can be chronically debilitating and affect the quality of life, leading to depression, anxiety, and stress. Often, psoriasis is mistaken for other skin diseases, which results with many being treated for something irrelevant, allowing their psoriasis to fully manifest. Awesome isn't it? This so called "skin condition" afflicts over four million people in the United States alone, and scientist believe that certain people may be genetically predisposed to develop psoriasis. Can you BELIEVE that? I can't...
Plaque Psoriasis is the most common form, and effects eighty percent of all psoriasis sufferers. Patches appear most frequently on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet, and lower back. Scalp psoriasis is another common type of this skin condition, and is said to be present in at least half of the people with the disease. Psoriasis of the scalp, for many sufferers, continues to be a horror story, and is one of the most socially embarrassing of conditions, even causing victims to actually lose their hair! That's just terrible, and trust me, I've been a sufferer of psoriasis for at least 3 years now, and it has been nothing short of miserable. To top it off, it can also affect the fingernails, the toenails, and the soft tissues of the genitals and inside the mouth, but wait because it doesn't stop just there! Oh no, plaque or guttate psoriasis is only the beginning, because you're also susceptible to psoriatic arthritis! That's when you're LUCKY enough to have joint stiffness and swelling, as well as extreme pain! Can you sense the sarcasm in that sentence, huh, can you?
We all know that skin care is very important, and since skin is one of those forefront body aspects that say a lot about our internal and external health, psoriasis does a great job at letting everyone know, or at least think that you're some diseased, contagious freak! Skin reactions, including itching, sunburn, and blistering are common, that's right, COMMON for people with psoriasis!
For you to truly understand what this disease is and how it effects people, it is very important that you know the causes or 'triggers' and find out the appropriate drugs that can attempt to cover the symptoms. Treatment begins with the prevention of flare-ups, and doctors treat psoriasis based on the severity of the disease, the size of the areas involved, the type of psoriasis, and the patient's response to any initial treatments. Treatment focuses on the control of symptoms and prevention of secondary infection, as well as using topical lotions, shampoos, and cold tar preparations. To be completely honest, and I'm sure most sufferers will agree, current skin treatment is NOT very satisfactory, because there is no specific remedy or cure. Topical vitamin D analogs for treatment include calcipotriene ( calcipotriol ), calcitriol , and tacalcitol. There's plenty more where that came from, and initially they all work pretty well, but then the disease becomes resistant and the creams fail to do ANYTHING!
The American Academy of Dermatology, the U.S Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all discourage the use of tanning beds and sun lamps, however both UVB and UVA are found in natural sunlight, although the beneficial effect for psoriasis is attributed primarily to UVB. Treatment with ultraviolet light usually involves standing in a "light box" where the whole body receives the ultraviolet light, not just the areas affected by psoriasis. Light therapy patients need to protect uninvolved skin during treatment, usually using washcloths to cover up sensitive areas. Studies have shown that combining ultraviolet light treatment and a retinoid, like acitretin, adds to the effectiveness of UV light for psoriasis. I haven't personally tried it so who knows, but ANYTHING is worth a shot am I right?
Lotions, creams and ointments are applied directly on the skin and are often a first line of therapy, though topical tar preparations, including shampoos, creams, and other preparations are recommended to be used once or twice daily.Topical high-potency corticosteroid solution or ointment works best when covered by cellophane wrap at bedtime, or so I've heard.
Plaque Psoriasis is the most common form, and effects eighty percent of all psoriasis sufferers. Patches appear most frequently on the knees, elbows, scalp, hands, feet, and lower back. Scalp psoriasis is another common type of this skin condition, and is said to be present in at least half of the people with the disease. Psoriasis of the scalp, for many sufferers, continues to be a horror story, and is one of the most socially embarrassing of conditions, even causing victims to actually lose their hair! That's just terrible, and trust me, I've been a sufferer of psoriasis for at least 3 years now, and it has been nothing short of miserable. To top it off, it can also affect the fingernails, the toenails, and the soft tissues of the genitals and inside the mouth, but wait because it doesn't stop just there! Oh no, plaque or guttate psoriasis is only the beginning, because you're also susceptible to psoriatic arthritis! That's when you're LUCKY enough to have joint stiffness and swelling, as well as extreme pain! Can you sense the sarcasm in that sentence, huh, can you?
We all know that skin care is very important, and since skin is one of those forefront body aspects that say a lot about our internal and external health, psoriasis does a great job at letting everyone know, or at least think that you're some diseased, contagious freak! Skin reactions, including itching, sunburn, and blistering are common, that's right, COMMON for people with psoriasis!
For you to truly understand what this disease is and how it effects people, it is very important that you know the causes or 'triggers' and find out the appropriate drugs that can attempt to cover the symptoms. Treatment begins with the prevention of flare-ups, and doctors treat psoriasis based on the severity of the disease, the size of the areas involved, the type of psoriasis, and the patient's response to any initial treatments. Treatment focuses on the control of symptoms and prevention of secondary infection, as well as using topical lotions, shampoos, and cold tar preparations. To be completely honest, and I'm sure most sufferers will agree, current skin treatment is NOT very satisfactory, because there is no specific remedy or cure. Topical vitamin D analogs for treatment include calcipotriene ( calcipotriol ), calcitriol , and tacalcitol. There's plenty more where that came from, and initially they all work pretty well, but then the disease becomes resistant and the creams fail to do ANYTHING!
The American Academy of Dermatology, the U.S Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention all discourage the use of tanning beds and sun lamps, however both UVB and UVA are found in natural sunlight, although the beneficial effect for psoriasis is attributed primarily to UVB. Treatment with ultraviolet light usually involves standing in a "light box" where the whole body receives the ultraviolet light, not just the areas affected by psoriasis. Light therapy patients need to protect uninvolved skin during treatment, usually using washcloths to cover up sensitive areas. Studies have shown that combining ultraviolet light treatment and a retinoid, like acitretin, adds to the effectiveness of UV light for psoriasis. I haven't personally tried it so who knows, but ANYTHING is worth a shot am I right?
Lotions, creams and ointments are applied directly on the skin and are often a first line of therapy, though topical tar preparations, including shampoos, creams, and other preparations are recommended to be used once or twice daily.Topical high-potency corticosteroid solution or ointment works best when covered by cellophane wrap at bedtime, or so I've heard.
Now for the GOOD stuff!
Natural home cures have helped a large number of people to eliminate psoriasis as a problem within their lives, and continues to help MORE and MORE people each day! Natural psoriasis treatment can help your traditional treatment and help you control your psoriasis so you can feel MUCH better about your own skin. Natural treatment using herbs and oils works wonders, and one natural remedy for psoriasis is to use sea salts in your baths. It is a very traditional way of fighting against the infection because we often use salt to clean other types of wounds and infections in the body and skin. A few of the superior herbal remedies for psoriasis are Neem, which is used as a topical cream or taken internally in capsule form, Oregon Grape as a tonic or as a detoxifier and Tea Tree Oil. Other natural home remedies include daily baths to soothe irritation and loosen and soften the scales formed by plaque psoriasis, frequent utilization of heavy moisturizers, topical use of creams produced from aloe vera extract and ingestion of fish oil supplements, which is an excellent source of inflammation-fighting Omega-3 essential fatty acids. If you're like me, and are DYING to know anything and everything about curing your psoriasis, then I urge you to pick up a copy of this natural psoriasis treatment here.
It also comes with a ton of informative books to help keep your skin fresh and clean!
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