Health as a Teacher

I never realized how much more I relate to others when their experience is negative, sad or depressing, until I was diagnosed with rosacea. Rosacea is a skin condition that is "chronic and incureable" - I have had this condition for my entire life, it has waxed and waned since my teenage years and recently reappeared in my adulthood. It usually appears on the face, and is therefore very distressing for those it affects. Many treatment options are available, most offering mediocre results at best. Physicians are encouraged to "supplement medical treatment with patient reassurance" as "many patients suffer from low self confidence".

Ughhh - my damaged skin literally crawled as I read this research. I don't necessarily suffer from low self confidence, but who wants a chronic incureable disease that impairs your physical appearance, your face in particular, and does not respond to treatment?! With the reemergence of this condition in my adulthood, I became obsessed with it. As is my habit, I began repeating these frustrating facts over and over in my head, also telling my friends and family about my whoa's, ultimately making myself more and more anxious about my skin.

What I did not repeat in my head was that the condition is neither disabling nor life threatening. It is occasionally uncomfortable and embarassing, but it does not TRULY interefere with a person's ability to work, play or interact with others. Those who despair incessantly over their physical appearance may hate going to work during a flare up, or may be less likely to go to dinner with friends, but these denials of normal life have more to do with a person's REACTION to the condition, and not the condition itself. When I am at my worst, I chose to ignore these encouraging facts and instead focus on things that perpetuate my feelings of anxiety and depression.

I recently signed onto a blog of people who suffer from rosacea. Their comments were not encouraging - most stated that they had used several treatments over a years time with no improvement. Story after story fed into my own sense of helplessness! Their stories stayed with me for a few days, until I realized something vital about the bloggers - where were the success stories? It was easy to think that every person with rosacea was losing the battle. I began to consider that it was it largely the people with negative experiences that sought out the blog. Maybe, those with success stories were too busy living their lives to post on a blog?!

Slowly but surely, my rosacea success story has unfolded. As is the case with most challenges in our lives, this skin problem of mine has led to some positive changes in my life. So far it has motivated me to give up dairy (aghhhh - I love cheese!!!) and decrease my alcohol intake (ouch - I love wine!!!!), two known triggers for flare ups. I still feel some degree of hopelessness and frustration, and I still secretly obsess over the subtle changes in my skin on an hourly/daily basis ("Can someone hand me a mirror, I feel the need to obsess over my skin..."). But I am learning to be more patient with treatment options over time, less fearful of what other's think, and more responsible for my state of mind. Energy follows thought, and even minor health problems can serve as practice for redirecting your thoughts towards more positive things.