Psycho-dermatology

[jiml]

Hello everyone.  
I've recently been told to stop taking MTX until I've had more bloods. It may be a blip in my results but who knows? I don't mind admitting, all the messing about has pi**ed me off and been getting me down.  
Anyway, I've been putting my insomnia to good use by doing some research and have been chatting with Toby Hadoke. He's an actor, writer and Dr Who geek (amongst other things). My partner Nick met him last year at a Dr Who event. Toby also suffers with psoriasis.
After checking out Toby's blog and commenting, we've been tweeting & messaging.
The upshot is that he has had counselling with a psycho-dermatologist to help with the psychological effects of psoriasis and is also involved in a campaign called See Psoriasis, Look Deeper.
I wont post links, it can be easily googled, but I thought this information might be useful to someone. It's very interesting and they're trying to make more Dermatologists aware of the emotional impacts.

Hi Brighteyes. I hope you get some good news on your blood results soon so you can continue with something to help, don't want to see you with a bad flare again,
and glad to see you putting your insomnia to good use and widening your knowledge, an interesting read I thought  
Yes it's high time dermatologists were taught to look beyond the skin and physical side of the disease, they may be more ready to give good treatment if they understand.....
Are you considering counselling ?

Our hospital here in Norwich is a university hospital and trains doctors in all departments. I have been fortunate ( if that's the word) to be a training aid for the students and have gained a bit of knowledge listening and talking with the consultants, doctors and students.
I have always when talking to a group of student doctors emphasised the importance of gauging the mental effect the disease is having on the patient, the consultants are also telling them to be aware of a patients mental state.
I am being a " patient" for exams there next week, and will see how they assess me, and see if they ask me anything about the phycological effect the disease has on me as a patient