Coping with Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis

I experienced my first flare up 2 years ago, May 2013. At first, I thought it was just an allergy to the antibiotic that I misused (Used it without prescription, I know...my bad), but to my horror it was Psoriasis. I went to a Dermatologist after a month when I couldn't handle the itch and the horrifying look of my skin. It was all over my body and every day it seems that it was consuming my whole life.

I asked my family, both my mother and my father, told me that there are no cases of a family having experienced Psoriasis before. That leads me to question what is the cause of my Psoriasis. I don't know exactly where did I acquire it, but it does not matter now. What matters is how on earth I could be able to remove it completely out of my life. So far, I am clueless and desperate.

I tried almost everything everyone told me what could heal it, but to no avail. Today, I am on Methotrexate, which I am fearing because it can cause liver damage in the long run. I am using petroleum jelly topically of course, but it just minimizes the tightness that my skin feels when it dries.

In the second year, I have felt like my body is getting weaker and very prone to infection because of my constant picking and scratching. The lesions are bleeding and I noticed that the skin is becoming thinner. To top it all off, my hands and feet are aching, that I later learned to be PA Psoriatic Arthritis. It is very painful and the ache is unbearable. I can barely walk and my fingers are stiff. One finger in my right hand malformed, I cannot make it straight like before.

One of the most important thing that anyone with Psoriasis looks for is support. Get support wherever possible, especially in your family. Although unseen, support from your family helps heal you. It may not be physically but emotionally. It heals you from the inside. I cannot put into words what it feels like to be in this situation but it greatly helps to have people around you care. Let them help you through it by allowing them to be there and show their support.

I have the tendency to be distant, especially in the first year of Psoriasis. I felt like I am alone in this struggle that I forgot I have my family who is very willingly reachable in times like this.

I am thankful as well as regretful that I haven't realised this before.

On my third year already! As the years pass, I learned to take care of my body and my skin, although I am still on the scratching mode, I can now tolerate it.

Part of it maybe because I learned to accept it...accept my situation. Acceptance is one key, but I will never accept defeat. I will still find ways on how I can survive having this Psoriasis. I know one day I will have my life back.