These are really thoughtful questions, and you're definitely not alone in wondering about them. Many people with psoriasis notice a strong connection between major life events and when their symptoms first appeared or worsened.
One MyPsoriasisTeam member shared: "I didn't know I had psoriasis until my job became very Show Full Answer
These are really thoughtful questions, and you're definitely not alone in wondering about them. Many people with psoriasis notice a strong connection between major life events and when their symptoms first appeared or worsened.
One MyPsoriasisTeam member shared: "I didn't know I had psoriasis until my job became very stressful. That's when I had a terrible outbreak on my scalp." Another said: "It's a vicious cycle and I'm trying to work out how to beat stress." Science has looked into this. One study found that 72% of people with psoriasis had experienced a significant stressful life event in the month before their psoriasis first appeared. Another study found that people with psoriasis were more than four times as likely to have experienced a major stressful event compared to others.
Here's what researchers believe is happening:
- Intense stress or trauma can trigger immune system reactions
- These immune responses cause inflammation in the skin
- This inflammation can kick off or worsen psoriasis symptoms
So while trauma isn't confirmed as a direct *cause*, the evidence strongly suggests it can be a powerful trigger, especially in people who are already genetically predisposed to psoriasis.
Talking to a doctor or mental health professional about stress and trauma management could be a worthwhile part of managing psoriasis overall.
August 2
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