"There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path." - Buddha

"There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path." - Buddha

What is there not to like about this picture? It looks like I am in Heaven.

And yet, we underestimate our mind and the tricks it can play on us. We can be in a perfect location with the perfect company, food and music and yet be unhappy.

I want to celebrate #psoriasisawarenessmonth this August and highlight the mental burden that psoriasis brings. While “beauty is only skin-deep", mental health from illnesses such as psoriasis is much deeper…

We talk about inflammation in the gut and flare-ups on our skin but we forget the mental burdens such as depression and anxiety that we carry.

How do I know this? I am a psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis patient.

I have had psoriasis since I was a 6 years old girl and even though it does not define me (anymore), the mental breakdown in 'our heads' is a constant companion that I have to live with.

I choose happiness…it is a choice that I make everyday...

I am grateful to all the patients, scientists, doctors, advocates and friends who make the burden of this chronic disease less every day.

What is psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis?

Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes skin cells to multiply up to 10 times faster than normal. All of this makes the skin build up into bumpy, sometimes painful red patches covered with white scales. Those patches may grow anywhere, but most appear on the scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back. Psoriasis can't be passed from person to person and it is not contagious. It does sometimes happen in members of the same family and can be hereditary.

Psoriasis usually appears in early adulthood, but also in children. My psoriasis started when I was 6.  For most people, it affects just a few areas. However, in severe cases, psoriasis can cover large parts of the body. The patches can heal and then come back throughout a person's life.

Up to a third of people with psoriasis also get psoriatic arthritis. Most people are diagnosed between 30 and 50, but you can really get it at any age. It causes inflammation, mainly in your joints. However, it may affect affect other body parts, too.

Some symptoms can be similar to rheumatoid arthritis, so your doctor may want to do tests to confirm the diagnosis.

Mental Health and Autoimmune Disease

Mental health: it’s a discussion that our modern world is slowly (finally) beginning to embrace. Although there are many factors that can impact a person’s emotional balance, the interplay between mental health and autoimmune disease is a topic that should not be dismissed.

Mental health challenges are a common experience among people with autoimmune disease and other chronic illnesses. From social and emotional burdens to physical challenges, many people with autoimmune disease experience significant disruption to their lives.

The need for mental health support often goes hand-in-hand with the importance of managing disease symptoms, and yet many treatment protocols lack emphasis on mental health support. You either go to a dermatologist or an internist etc, and they do their best to treat the symptoms. Usually this happens with the meds. Almost no one ever talks about the holistic health approach and especially about the mental health implications. 

For more please subscribe to our blog and/and website and follow us! 

Thank you and 

"There is no path to happiness; happiness is the path." - Buddha