More than 30 percent of people who have eczema also have anxiety or depression. The redness, itching, and scaling on your skin can deal a blow to your self-esteem and take a tremendous toll on your mental health. Mental health issues are so common among people with eczema that depression is considered a comorbidity, or related condition, in people with eczema.
The connection between feeling bad and having eczema goes deeper than how eczema affects your skin, though. Your skin is your body's largest organ, and it has a lot of connections to your brain. When your skin has an inflammatory condition, it communicates with your brain, which makes you feel anxious, depressed and tired. These stressors can cause your eczema to get worse, creating a vicious loop.
The good news is that there are lifestyle changes you can make to yourself feel better and increase your confidence, such as:
Getting Enough Exercise
When you have eczema, exercising can present some challenges. Getting hot and sweaty may cause your eczema to flare up, and synthetic workout clothes can irritate your skin. However, the benefits of exercising are worth the extra effort. Exercise is as effective as prescription antidepressants in some cases. It releases feel-good chemicals called endorphins and supports nerve cell growth that boosts your mood.
On top of all of these emotional benefits, exercise reduces your risk of developing many other conditions, such as heart disease and diabetes, and improves your overall health. Exercising vigorously also helps you sleep better, which can be a struggle for people with eczema.
Practicing Meditation
Mindfulness training not only makes you feel better emotionally: It may also lower your body's inflammatory response. One study compared two groups of people who were trained in either meditation or another type of training designed to be good for their health. Both groups then received a superficial wound to measure the amount of inflammation generated.
The group trained in mindfulness experienced lower levels of inflammation in response to the wound. This suggests that meditation may be able to reduce your body's inflammatory response, as well as the negative feelings you have associated with your eczema.
Asking for Help
Don't be afraid to reach out for support. Dealing with eczema affects your psychological and physical health. Getting the help and support you need can help interrupt the two-way flow of negative communication that makes your eczema worse and increases your anxiety.
