In the latest issue of the APA magazine (American Psychological Association) “Monitor on Psychology” we talk about psychoderology and the role that stress and other psychological problems play in diseases such as acne, psoriasis, eczema, itching, urticaria and others skin problems.
For some time the treatment of social anxiety and depression has been dealing with the psychological consequences that can arise in some subjects with dermatological pathologies.
Recently in the United States, the Apmna (Association for Psychoneurocutaneous Medicine of North America), in addition to doctors and psychiatrist specialists, is involving psychologists and psychotherapists in research and training in psychoderology.
The skin is the most evident part of our body that can be influenced by psychological factors.
Psoriasis, eczema, acne and other manifestations can be unpredictable and, unlike hypertension, diabetes or other health problems, i skin problems They are usually evident to others and this often induces, in patients, psychological reactions inadequate to real dermatological conditions, but in line with the emotional feeling of shame, embarrassment, fear of judgment.
Having a problem to the skin can induce serious emotional reactions. In a 2014 survey out of 1,675 patients with rosacea – a condition that causes redness of the face and related symptoms – the National Rosacea Society observed how 90% of the interviewees presented lowering of self -esteem and confidence in itself, 54% anxiety and impotence, and 43% depression. More than half of the subjects has reported to avoid visual contact with others.
The negative emotions generated by dermatological problems do nothing but exacerbate the skin problems creating a vicious circle.
The treatment of psychic problems, fortunately, has a positive effect on the improvement of skin problems: in an article in 2013, Fried has examined the effect of psychotherapeutic techniques typical of cognitive behavioral therapy (biofeedback, guided imagination, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation) associated with traditional dermatological approaches and underlined the importance of this approach in giving the patient tools for tools for tools for manage stressunderstand one’s emotions and manage emotional and behavioral reactions.
The cases in which i skin problems They are the clear external event of an underlying disorder.
Some people, for example, could have perfect skin if they did not implement destructive behavior induced by Disconnecting impulses or obsessive compulsive behaviors.
It is therefore very important to accept to investigate the maintenance factors of the dermatological pathological condition through an accurate phase of medical, psychiatric and psychological diagnostic investigation.
Another important area of research that investigates the connection between psychic and dermatological problems concerns the correlation between excess tanning and skin problems.
Tanning, like smoking, is now known as health badly, yet many people continue to expose themselves to sunlight without adequate protection by increasing the risk of being able to develop dermatological pathologies.
Research shows that the desire to feed one’s self -esteem through the idea that the tan is glamorous is stronger, rather than maintaining the idea that it is necessary to regulate exposure to UV rays.
We talk about tanorexiaEnglish neologism that unites the word tant-tinged at the end anorexia. And just like those who suffer from anorexia that are never seen quite thin, the tanoresses are never seen quite dark.
How alcoholics and tobagisms know the risks they run, but they can’t say enough. We talk about psychological dependence And compulsion, but also of physical dependence: a hypothesis raised and never confirmed considers in fact the exposure to the sun as a stimulus for the release of endorphins.
