They tell you that eczema is caused by stress and there is some truth in that, but it’s not the only cause. There are so many triggers, including food, environmental factors, airborne allergens, soap, skincare products, heat, cold and I could go on.
I’ve always struggled with the ‘stress’ diagnosis because it has always made me feel that some of the blame for my skin lies with me. That if I was better at coping with stress, if I was stronger, less of a worrier, more of a warrior, that I could conquer it. If I could be a different person perhaps! But I can’t.
I look at other people’s skin and feel such pain, sadness and loss. I almost grieve the life I could have had if I hadn’t been constantly battling with this condition, because eczema is a battle. Living with it day and night is exhausting.
But you can’t go through life thinking like that, so I smile, and moisturise and moisturise some more and do everything I can to help control my skin but sometimes nothing seems to help.
How do you create a life without stress and anxiety and therefor reduce the impact of eczema from your life?
Don’t get too excited, I have no answer for you. No amazing cures to rid you of thickened dry skin any time soon.
What I can give you is my insight over this year of being fortunate enough to get Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) through the NHS. It really has been an eye opener and has drawn me to explore other avenues of research such as ‘breaking the habit to itch’ and ‘mindfulness meditation’.
Sound like mumbo jumbo?
Well it’s not.
I suddenly realised that the only times I don’t deal with some level of itch was first thing in the morning in that just woken stage when you feel blissfully relaxed, when I was running, practising yoga, or more recently, during breathing exercises and practise learnt during this CBT course.
I can’t just stop stress, It’s a normal part of life. Change is everywhere, it’s happening all the time and most of it is good! But I have noticed that I CAN notice when I’m anxious, for whatever reason. I have started to be able to recognise when I’m itching and sometimes stop myself scratching. Sometimes… often I still can’t.
I can also now recognise when I need to stop what I’m doing and just breathe. When my thoughts are taking a not so useful direction, and I need to just question why I’m thinking that. It’s very powerful and I’ve noticed also at the times when I don’t do this, when I don’t stop, when I just ride on the wave of fear, terror, worry, anger… the itch rises to unignorable levels and I will scratch and tear my skin. I won’t be able to stop myself. And my goodness does it feel good. Until I look down at the damage I’ve caused.
What makes me furious is that Iv’e gone so long without recognising this. Without being able to make this connection.
But what gives me hope is that now, armed with this knowledge I can continue to move towards a life where I am in control of anxiety and so in turn perhaps stop scratching.
I’m a long way off, but I’m seeing progress and improvement every day. Maybe not always in my skin, but in how I feel about my skin, how I treat my skin and how I manage my eczema.
It’s not about being relentlessly positive about everything all the time, it’s just about being aware, being present and recognising when you need time to look after yourself.
So to those people who continually tell me not to stress, to just chill, that I’m doing fine and that everyone has challenges to face. I don’t want to hear it. I really don’t. Until you’ve gone months on two hours sleep a night on top of the other challenges life throws at us all you have no right to comment. Rant over.
All you need to know is that I’m doing my best to live my best life, to improve myself and how I care for myself and others.
I’m itching right now and instead of scratching I am going to hang out my washing and go for a run.
Keep fighting eczema warriors.
More blogs to follow on habit breaking hacks, what I’ve learnt from doing this counselling course and much more. I am about to move into a new home… tempting fate here I know, but with this will come a space to write, my own desk and hopefully a return to the incredibly rewarding, fun and therapeutic practise of writing, blogging and sharing with all of you lot.
Hopefully the reduction in stress caused by just feeling so unmoored, so unsettled and so out of control will help too. Watch this space.
Hi Ruth
Thankyou for sharing.
I totally understand where you’re coming from. I suffer with atopic dermatitis & it can be so debilitating. Face & body feel like they are constantly on fire, itching (don’t get me started), excruciating pain. Mine is from a lot of allergies to nickel, cobalt, latex, formaldehyde & many foods +yes agree stress doesn’t help.Auto immune disorder, so am on an immune suppressant. Feel ur pain xo
Thanks for your comment Gabby. I hate to hear you are feeling pain too but it is encouraging for me to feel like I’m not being lame and moaning. I wonder how many people could cope with this and still smile and get on with life. I am usually a very positive happy person but when my skin is bad it’s so hard to rise above the pain.
Thank you for sharing . I know late at Night, when I get tired I tear at my Skin.
It has gone away before , during good Weather, good times etc. ; I agree to a certain degree I’m not in control.. Always suffered, always will, but good to know other people out there with understanding of this
nightmare condition. xx
Thanks for the comment Frances and sorry you have horrible itchy eczema too 🙁
Immune system disorders cause abnormally low activity or over activity of the immune system. In cases of immune system over activity, the body attacks and damages its own tissues (autoimmune diseases). Immune deficiency diseases decrease the body’s ability to fight invaders, causing vulnerability to infections.
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Brilliant as ever Ruth – I couldn’t agree more. Stress happens to everyone but it is us as eczema sufferers who are expected to just take control and get over it. Dermatologists are the absolute worst at expecting this. They seem to think that simply by recognising stress as a factor they have done their job – I can’t wait to hear more about the CBT and lots of love and luck with the move. Here’s to feeling mored! Xx
Thanks Beczema xxx Means a lot to have such a lovely comment from you, my favourite eczema blogger. The CBT stuff has truly been so amazing. Sometimes the pain is just too much to remain positive and I do give in to the itch but I’m learning and I am getting better at ignoring it and finding ways to distract myself. It’s been so bad lately that I have felt very low but hopefully I can turn a corner soon. I really want to get out of the steroid loop but my doctor is so pro steroids and encourages me to use more and more… makes me weep to think now how reliant I am on them but that’s another story as they have actually ceased to be so effective.
I understand completely where everyone is coming from, as for the first time I had top to toe – literally – eczema from Feb 2018. Thanks to you Ruth, & reading up lots, I have learnt about natural products. I now use nothing with chemicals, & have even found a hair colour with 0.04% PPD which seems ok. I’ve also started taking turmeric paste, as I also have auto-immune skin problems. Protopic is great, as can put it on and not worry about skin thinning. For the past 2 months my skin is has been good, with a few tiny outbreaks, and my hair isn’t falling out now. I think I’m allergic to nylon, which is a problem with bras etc, and also metals? Fight hard! Keep up the good blogging thanks Ruth x
Thank you Gillian. It is all these little things that finally help us get control of eczema. There is not an answer that helps everyone, which is so frustrating I know. But slowly slowly we can all get there. Anxiety and stress play a huge role in my skin health. It’s a big healing journey but I’m getting there, both inside and out.
Immune system disorders cause abnormally low activity or over activity of the immune system. In cases of immune system over activity, the body attacks and damages its own tissues (autoimmune diseases). Immune deficiency diseases decrease the body’s ability to fight invaders, causing vulnerability to infections.
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