How to overcome fear of living with Eczema

Many Eczema sufferers allow their skin condition to rule their life. This doesn't have to be the case!

What do other people actually think?

Other people will think, his/ her skin looks painful or his/ her has eczema/ a rash/ allergic reaction. What is the problem with that? These people will forget about you after thirty seconds and then they will be wrapped up in their own life. People are rarely shocked now. It would take an awful lot to shock someone, to the extent of them telling everyone they know. Do you think they act this way towards eczema? Of course not, Eczema is a very mild sight, compared to the many other problems people have.

You might find that people ask questions about your skin condition. This is perfectly fine; there is no need to take this personally, although you are probably sick of repeated relentless questions. Eczema is a great subject to talk about, when you first meet someone. Tell them as much as you can about your condition, and they will not mention another word about eczema. Now you have made a friend, they understand your condition and they will not ask you anything related to eczema for a long time. Think of eczema as a social benefit, rather than a burden.

If you think anything else, you are living in a dream world. People, who bully you about your condition, are not happy with their own life. They think I am miserable about my life or they way I am, so it is my right to make other people feel bad about themselves. Ignore these people, because they don't actually mean it.

How do you overcome your fear of what people think?

You overcome fear by encountering your fear. Don't try to go in the deep end straight away. You need to take baby steps towards your fear. Try to do small fears and work your way up to big and bigger fears.

You are probably wondering, where should I start this journey. First thing you need to do is look at your family or close friends.

1. Ask them if they want to see a film at the cinema. Cinema theatres are a good place to start, because no one can see you and everyone, including yourself is focusing on the film.

2. The next step is to meet people outside of your family and friends. Try joining a course or a class in something you enjoy. You will always meet new people that share the same hobbies as you do.

These are enough to get you started. If you can overcome these, when you have flare-ups and your skin is feeling raw. You will feel more confident when you clear your skin.

Don't let eczema stop you doing activities you enjoy, unless they are harming your health. For example, I had to quit football when I was young, because I was allergic to grass.

Too many people are concerned about what other people think about them. You hear people complaining about their weight, a broken nail and numerous other things. If other people notice these things and make a big deal of it, it is because they have a problem with themselves.