Strength Through Struggle: How Psoriasis Taught Me to Love Myself
“At 11 years old, I was diagnosed with psoriasis. Being that young, it was difficult for me to comprehend and with everyone at school pointing it out, I felt alone. I remember one time in my science class, this kid looked at me and said “Ew, what’s wrong with your face?” I then told him it was a skin disease. “Eww, don’t touch me. You’re contagious…get away.” He backed himself in a corner and everyone stared at me.
After that, I did everything i could to hide my skin–long sleeves, makeup etc. I did this because I knew people didn’t understand. This made me want my skin to be normal and not flake off every which way. I felt shameful when I sat in a black chair and left trails behind. Being different from everyone else at a very young age changed my view on the world. Don’t get me wrong, it didn’t ruin my childhood, it taught me to be more aware–aware of flaws…beautiful, unique flaws.
Being more aware about my body and how it worked helped me understand this disease more. I was an outcast because of my skin, but truly, I am glad for that. I met amazing people. Even now, I’m still meeting amazing people everyday. My instagram (psoriasisspeaks) has helped me cope with my skin, connecting me with many other sufferers. Back when I was first diagnosed, I didn’t know anything about this condition. Seven years later, I’m helping people from different countries with the same condition I have. Today, I can now say I feel so lucky to have psoriasis. If you would like to join me as I continue to learn about my condition, please follow my Instagram, I would love to hear from you. Much love, everyone. Stay strong.”
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