I’ve had eczema for thirty something years and, throughout my skin story, the overwhelming majority of the many….many ….many …..MANY health care professionals that I have seen, have only ever looked at treating what was going on on the outside of by body, rather than considering that it might be something going on inside.
However, the fact of the matter is, that eczema and mental health are very firmly intertwined.
Stress is one of the single biggest factors of flare ups. As well as causing massive inflammation in the body, this healthy skin assassin can also hamper healing following a break out.
Flare ups are then in turn responsible for diminished mental health - increased anxiety, crippling confidence issues and severe depression.
This causes a never ending cycle of stress- scratch-stress.
Stress, of course, is something that will naturally occur and even the most resilient amongst us will experience some
form of it at some point in their lives.
As children and young adults there’s the stress of making friendships, exams, puberty (and, more so these days than when I was growing up, the ever toxic
world of social media).
As adults stress comes…..well…. In many shapes and guises! Bills, work, relationships, children- you name it!
The key is learning to note when your body is under stress and taking the time out to deal with it to minimise the flare wherever possible.
Here are some tried and tested ways to deal with stress in daily life and tackle inflammation head on.
Talking therapy
Whether it’s with a professional counsellor, a family member, or trusted friend, talking your problems through is absolutely key. Unfortunately, I know from experience that bottling things up only stokes the inner fire of inflammation that will eventually erupt through the skin.
Yoga and meditation
I was watching a video by another eczema warrior recently and in it she wished that people wouldn’t just tell her to do yoga to heal.
I get it , I really do. When you are completely at the end of your tether, the itch is so intense that you haven’t slept for days, confidence has plummeted and your skin sticks to everything you wear, it’s really tempting to tell everyone that suggests pretty much any kind of solution to stick it up their rear end!
However, and again from experience, yoga, meditation and mindfulness have been exceptionally helpful to me during some of my worst flares. There’s also a lot of evidence based research that shows the wonderful benefits that yoga can have on the mind and body. A must read is; The Last Best Cure by Donna Jackson Nakazawa if you need any proof at all.
Get outside
When my skin was at its worst, I couldn’t think of anything worse than putting on my walking boots and getting outside. Literally breathing hurt.
However,on several occasions my husband, my parents, or my friends would gently hold my hand and take me for walks in the countryside, just to get me out of the house, and each and every time I felt infinitely better. Fresh air, green spaces and natural sunlight are the most beneficial factors when it comes to boosting mood and improving mental health. Also a good shot of Vitamin D is wonderful for healing.
You don’t have to trek the Sahara! Just a short half hour stroll will completely suffice and make a massive impact on your wellbeing and stress tolerance ability.
Make yourself the priority and REST
In the past, I’ve been determined that a flare up wouldn’t stop me. I’ve refused to call in sick or let it stop me going out with friends and, to an extent, that’s not a bad thing. Nobody likes a pity party and I do firmly believe that if you let eczema take over then it has won. BUT… and it’s a big old but… sometimes you need to stop and sleep.
You need to get yourself on the sofa, throw on a bit of Disney and just let your body heal. Ploughing through like you’re a hero with something to prove isn’t helping man nor beast! By forcing your body to do things that it doesn’t want to do and ignoring its need to rest, you’re releasing more of the stress hormone Cortisol and just stoking the inflammation fire.
It’s okay to have a duvet day when your skin is sore. I only wish that I had learnt that sooner!
EFT Tapping
When I first read about Emotional Freedom Techniques ( Tapping) I was pretty sceptical, but ultimately desperate for relief.
I went to see the wonderful Lisa Tighe and she guided me through a number of sessions and I truly believe that they had a great influence on my healing process.
Tapping is an alternative treatment that uses the self-stimulation of acupuncture points to relieve stress, pain and anxiety. Tapping various areas such as the head, face, chest and hands, allows energy blockages in the body to clear. In doing so we are able to access the unconscious mind and assist the healing process. We will look more at EFT in depth later on on the blog.
Sleep
As I write this I can already hear the indignant snorts of Eczema Warriors reading this. “Sleep….yeah right….chance would be a fine thing!”
Sleeping during a flare is far easier said than done. I’ve spent hours quietly sobbing next to my sleeping husband at night,the itch consuming me and chasing away any chance of dreaming.
I’ve also spent many a night trying to cool myself down after a steroid induced sweat fest.
But sleep helps us to heal, and deep sleep even more so. Sometimes, when things are bad, you have to take it where you can get it. A quick afternoon nap here, a brief after-dinner snooze there.
As a general rule though, practicing good sleep hygiene and getting a good eight hours is a massive stress buster and can help to curb inflammation.
** Top Tip - The Headspace App has some fantastic sleep casts that really help when you're struggling to get a bit of shut eye!
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