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Psoriasis creates a lot of problems with social adaptation.
American novelist John Updike has described very well the mental state, which is developed in a person with psoriasis.
In his book "The Centaur" a teenage son of a schoolteacher lives in a small town in Pennsylvania in the late 1940's. The boy (his name is Peter) has psoriasis. Psoriasis makes him feel very embarrassed. One time his classmates see psoriasis on his body and one of them touches it with interest and then cowardly asks if it's contagious.
In the beginning of the novel Peter says that "first you note that it is uncomfortable for people to look at you, and then you yourself fear to look at yourself in the mirror".
When Peter talks to a girl he is in love with, he tells her of his "horrible secret" - about him having psoriasis. But the young woman does not care. She loves Peter and is not bothered one bit with the look or feel of psoriasis on his chest.
John Updike himself has suffered from psoriasis; due to this "The Centaur" perfectly reflects the feelings of a person with psoriasis. "The Centaur" (1963) may be a recommended reading for a person with psoriasis. In 1964 Updike received the National Book Award for "The Centaur". "The Centaur" was inspired by Updike's childhood in Pennsylvania and of course by his psoriasis. This book helps you realize that you are not alone and that people who really care about you, will not be bothered by your psoriasis, not one bit!
Psoriasis nowadays is much better known by the society that it used to be at the time when Updike wrote "The Centaur", but still psoriasis is not even nearly as well known as it should be.
To a large extent because of the lack of a public awareness, psoriasis leads to psychological problems - depression, anxiety etc.
Psoriasis often brings other associated problems: love and sex life hinder, self-esteem lowers etc. Sometimes psoriasis may even break a family or ruin a career.
The depression, anxiety and stress only make psoriasis worse.
Well, I think I have found one good thing about this: harder social adaptation, forced on us by our psoriasis makes us a stronger people!
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