BySiddhi Jain
August 3, 2020 (IANSlife) The skin and the mind are intricately related. The story is more complex than the proverbial appearance of “dark circles under the eyes” if you have not slept well. A relatively new discipline, Psychodermatology that studies the interface between Dermatology and Psychiatry is emerging.
Skin is one of the largest organs of the human body. It protects the inner body from the outside world. It senses the environmental cues, integrates them and coveys them to the body particularly the brain. It also is affected by the changes in the inner stability of the body, the hormones, neurochemicals, proteins of the brain and the effect of these on the body’s immunity.
It is not surprising then that skin would be affected by the changes in the mental state of a person, as a number of mental processes are also mediated through the same hormones, neurotransmitters and proteins of the brain, Dr Achal Bhagat, Senior Consultant Psychiatrist and Psychotherapist, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital, Delhi told IANSlife.
The disorders at the interface of skin and psychiatry require more research. But as the clinicians become more aware of the possibility of the interface between disciplines, there is a greater need for dermatologists to be empathetic and non-judgemental. The stigma regarding psychiatric disorders needs to be challenged. The psychiatric symptoms related to skin disorders may benefit from both medicines and psychological treatments like Cognitive Behaviour Therapy. Similarly, the psychiatrists need to be more aware of the link between the skin and mental health and recognise the need for early referral to the dermatologist. Skin disorders and Mental health disorders if left unaddressed, may impact the quality of life of a person significantly.
The fact that the psyche impacts our skin health has been underrated for a long time. What is less understood is that stress, anxiety and emotional distress can manifest themselves on the skin and can aggravate an existing condition. As per a recent report by Skinsupport.org revealed that out of all people who addressed and identified their psychodermatology issues, 94 percent reported reduced stress, 92 percent reported increased confidence, and 90 percent reported that they understood their skin condition better.
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Siddhi Jain can be contacted at siddhi.j@ians.in
Formatting & Picture editing by N. Lothungbeni Humtsoe