What is your strongest memory of living with psoriasis?
Psoriasis has impacted my life in different ways. One occasion I will always remember is a school get together when I was with a group of mums. My arms were slightly revealed and one of the other mums saw my psoriasis. She literally leapt away from me and said, ‘what’s that on your arms? Is it contagious?’ I couldn’t quite believe what had just happened but this was a lovely person who, hard as it is to believe, had never heard of or seen psoriasis.
 
How did psoriasis impact your life?
I find living with my psoriasis very tough. My self esteem can become low, especially when my psoriasis is severe. Over time though, I have learned strategies to cope with it. This has been made easier as I am lucky enough to enjoy the support of family and friends. However I still sometimes feel like it controls me, and not the other way round. For example it has prevented me from enjoying swimming with my children and I have never been able to fully enjoy beach holidays. I sometimes avoid going to a dance or party if I can’t find something to wear that covers the parts of my skin that are affected. 

My psoriatic arthritis has meant that walking the dogs, playing tennis and other sports have been getting steadily more difficult; indeed even simple things like opening jars have become an increasing challenge.

Why have you decided to get involved in the UK Naked Truth Campaign?
I know that if more people knew about psoriasis, particularly that it is neither contagious nor infectious, then life would be somewhat easier for my fellow sufferers. I also hoped the campaign would help me become more confident about myself, and not worry so much about what other people think.

Having participated in the campaign I definitely feel more confident, more positive and determined to ensure that my psoriasis has the minimum effect on my life possible. Additionally I feel that I’m much more in control of my psoriasis. I manage it; it does not manage me.

What is the message that you would like to convey to others?
After fourteen years of living with psoriasis, I still meet people who have never heard of it, and those who have often think it’s contagious. I’d really like people with psoriasis to be accepted for who they are as a person, and not stigmatised because of ignorance about a common skin condition.