I cried a lot, was scared to go out, and felt utterly alone, she tells SELF.
Lee is far from alone in feeling this way.
Many people with this chronic inflammatory skin condition know thatpsoriasis and mental healthcan go hand in hand.
Sabrena Khadija
In and of itself, having psoriasis is extremely stressful,Sam Von Reiche, Psy.
D., a licensed clinical psychologist, tells SELF.
But the link goes even deeper than that.
But this past year hasnt been all doom and gloom for people with psoriasis.
In some ways, the pandemic has also presented opportunities for some to actually prioritize and improve their health.
Here are just a few of the ways the pandemic is affecting people with psoriasis.
Anxiety about the future is triggering psoriasis symptoms for some.
Theres no denying that this pandemic is seriously stressing people out.
And for some people with psoriasis, this is worsening their symptomsboth physical and mental.
While Ruparelia hasnt experienced more psoriasis flares than usual throughout the pandemic, its something shes concerned about.
All these triggers caused my psoriasis to become unbearable.
Recent psoriasis flare-ups may be different than what youre used to.
For some reason, my scalp and ear psoriasis flared intensely, Lee says.
It can be hard to stick to healthy habits.
She has also increased her alcohol intake, which is known to be apsoriasis trigger.
Withgyms closedand options to run outside limited, Lee struggled to maintain aworkout routinethrough much of the pandemic.
Disrupted sleep schedulesare a challenge too.
Then Id stress about not sleeping and that would just keep me up, she says.
For some, mental health care is actually more accessible thanks to teletherapy options.
Before the pandemic, Ruparelia went to therapy from time to time.
Spending more time at home helps too.
Social connections can lower our stress levels and allow us to find meaning in life.
