I am sure that I am not the only one who has experienced a change in mood as a result of the debilitating eczema patches that appear on the skin from head to toe.
“Why is this?”, you may ask.
Well, this is because as people stared at me and treated me very differently due to the eczema on my skin which was clearly visible, I experienced eczema-induced depression which basically means that I was feeling down because of how people treated and viewed me.
Because of the stares from children and the isolation felt by people who could not relate to the eczema on my body, I had to find a way to solve my dilemma. There had to be a way out so that my mood would be normal and I would not be depressed anymore.
As it turns out, you may find that even though you are on steroids and are using steroid creams for your skin, your skin does not get any better. The reason being that steroids or using steroid cream, or even taking injections, only suppress the symptoms of eczema and do not treat the root cause.
It is clear that the only way to sort out eczema is by doing regular bowel cleansing over the course of a year and liver flushes at least once a month. These I have explained in my previous posts.
I noted that during the times of being depressed I often wore black even though the flakes from my skin would appear on it. I did not pay much attention to my hair so I probably appeared quite offensive to people. Even though I did try my best to stay clean due to the eczema and not wanting to get infected.
I often felt misunderstood by people and they would frequently stare at me whenever I boarded a bus or train. Although I did go to church to socialise as well as pray and praise the Lord, I had to turn down invitations to weddings, christening and birthday parties. Reason being I could not wear the clothes to suit these occasions as the material would aggravate my skin.
So What Should I Wear?
As time wore on I noticed that the kind of material that would be useful for my skin was satin or loose cotton clothing. I threw away my duvet and resorted to using cotton throws and also cotton sheets and pillowcases. These were much more softer and cooling to my skin.
I also wore linen dresses that were not too expensive to buy. As for my shoes, I could not even wear plastic flip-flops and had to resort to using leather shoes or sandals for my feet. You also have to bear in mind that jewellery was a no-no whether it was earrings, bracelets or necklaces.
Make-up was also forbidden and I could not wear any hair extensions to make my hair look pretty. So you can understand why I was clearly depressed even though I often tried to smile while in conversation.
I really do understand what you have been going through. Your mood changes when you have eczema. It definitely is not a pretty sight and people disregard you because you look off-putting to them even though they may not say this to you as they are too polite.
A Way Forward…
All I can say to all of this now is that I am not the kind of person who sits around staying depressed. I knew that the source of my depression was the eczema and I had to sort it out. I resorted to going off into the Nutricentre that was based near Regent’s Park in London.
I spoke to one of the nutritionists and got free advice as to the kind of supplements that would be useful for my skin. I spent lots of money and time going there at least twice a month.
They also had a bookstore and I went often to the Raw Food and Juicing section to find out recipes, and green smoothies ideas to use for my skin.
I also saw a nutritionist who was also a raw food coach and was based in Wandsworth Town, London. She recommended that I take green juices and plenty of wheatgrass juice. She gave me the address of suppliers of wheatgrass and I spent £150 on a wheatgrass juicer made of stainless steel and also bought a dehydrator and various books by Ann Wigmore.
One on sprouting and one on wheatgrass juice. I really wanted to educate myself and understand how to feed my body in a way that it could use the nutrients from my new food regime to the uttermost.
Fast forward to 2019 and my skin is very peachy. I still do bowel cleansing and liver flushing to help my skin be at its best. My hair, eyebrows and sideburns have grown back and I now have a full head of hair which is my trademark!
Lifestyle Changes
So there you have it, you see I do not spend plenty of time being up at night to the early hours of the morning on a computer or watching TV. I take the time to do the kind of exercise that is beneficial for my lifestyle.
For example, pilates which is a core strengthening exercise, Bikram yoga for stretching and joints. My skin is not at its best but at least the exfoliated flakes have stopped dropping to the floor in buckets!
I have a new lease on life and I still have maintained my sense of humour which got me through the years of eczema flare-ups. The reason why I’m writing this story is to encourage you to keep on going and find out the necessary things you need to do to change your lifestyle.
If it means changing your job to a less stressful one then do it. For example, I used to be a legal secretary and would travel around London as a temp . I found that the jobs I did were very stressful as I would normally be put in the deep end and left to get on with it.
I remember the time when I went to do a job not feeling my best and the people in the workplace told me they were vegetarians. They never got sick. At the time I did not take them seriously, but in retrospect, I realise they were right. I needed to change my lifestyle, which I did.
A lot of people might say that I went the drastic route but I had no choice. It was either my skin which would kill me if it got infected or a change in lifestyle. I took the latter as I wanted my hair to grow back and my nails to flourish.
I still have some way to go as my skin is wrinkled on my arms and feet due to the constant itching when I had the flare-ups. Green juices and smoothies and my kitchen gadgets are permanently left on the kitchen counter so that I can use them at a moment’s notice rather than rummaging around in the cupboard.
Over the years, many people have asked me how to clear skin and treat their children’s skin. This is one of the main reasons why I created this website because I knew that I could not tell them everything in one sitting.
Eczema is not something that you can clear quickly. It takes at least two weeks for you to see a difference in your skin, but the one good thing is that it can be solved naturally and you can return to vibrant health and moods as a result. If I can do it – so can you!
Bear in mind that I am not against steroid cream or dermatologists. It is just that these conventional methods do not work if your eczema is chronic. You are always at the mercy of those who are trying to treat you without understanding how to clear the root cause of eczema.
Diet is key and you need to change your food habits.
Avoid sugary, floury and dairy products that can aggravate and inflame your skin cells.
I cannot reiterate or emphasize enough that you need to change your eating habits and eat food based on meals around oily fish like salmon and avocado salad. Green juices are important and you will find that if you have at least four glasses a day spaced over the course of a day, your skin will take on a new hue within 2-4 weeks.
Well – do not take my word for it if you are sceptical, but try this for yourself and see what happens to your skin. Even people with eczema notice a glow about their face and an enhancement of mood which is a great bonus these days.
You can find out online that many people have taken to green juices and smoothies to solve the many health issues that they may have. As you can see, it is not only people with eczema or skin issues that can benefit from drinking green juices and avocado smoothies.
I recommend that you find out the kind of juices that you would like or the kind of avocado smoothies that you prefer. Buy a recipe book, get cracking at it and I will see you on the inside. If you have any comments or questions to let me know and I will be pleased to help you out.
