What are your strongest memories of living with psoriasis?
I used to find talking about it really difficult, in particular throughout high school or when I was dating girls. I always wanted to cover up and hide as I really didn’t feel comfortable exposing my skin.
At school we had sport classes, and we were often divided into two teams. One team would play with shirts on, and one team would play with shirts off. I was always going there hoping not to be picked by the team with no shirts. If I had to take my shirt off everybody would look at me funny or ask me about my psoriasis, especially as the treatment that I was taking at that time left burn marks around my spots.
How did psoriasis impact your life?
As a child it affects your confidence, even more so as a teenager when you are very aware of how you appear to others. You want to be the same as everyone else, look normal and fit in.
Having psoriasis means that your skin looks red and angry, and this makes you uncomfortable around other people. They very often think there is something wrong with you or that maybe you are not healthy. In fact one of the biggest challenges of living with psoriasis is to deal with other people’s reactions.
Why have you decided to get involved in the UK Naked Truth Campaign?
Having been involved in the European Naked Truth Campaign I decided to get involved in the UK specific Campaign too as I believe it is important to raise public awareness of this condition. I also found it quite therapeutic to share my experiences with people who had similar stories to tell.
I hope this Campaign will help people understand what psoriasis is; how it affects those who suffer from it and help them see not just the skin, but also the person underneath it.
What is the message that you would like to convey to others?
There is no reason to feel guilty or different from others if you have psoriasis. Knowledge is power and for those of us who have this condition, there is so much we can learn from one another’s experiences to help us manage it better.