She is convinced that the only way to eliminate feelings of shame, embarrassment and humiliation is for people with psoriasis to share their stories. It's a double-edged sword. Now she looks at each incident as a chance to educate others about psoriasis. The emotional impact of psoriasis that Tena felt is not her pain alone. Studies and surveys over the years have documented that psoriasis inflicts an emotional and psychological toll on those who suffer with it.
Psoriasis can affect people both in their perception of themselves and in their relationships.
Iona H. Ginsburg, M.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry in dermatology at New York's Columbia-Presbyterian Medical Center, has specialized in the psychological aspects of skin diseases. Many patients have to deal on a daily basis with shame, guilt, anger and fear of being thought dirty and infectious by others. A 1997 national survey sponsored by the NPF found that three out of four people with psoriasis believe that the disease can adversely affect a person's self-confidence in social situations. Additional studies have shown that embarrassment in social situations or anticipation of embarrassing social situations ranks high among psoriasis patients. Public Reaction Leslie Holsinger, Ph.D., a member of the NPF Board of Trustees from San Francisco, CA, also initially hid and disguised her psoriasis because of feelings of shame.