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Just diagnosed with psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis

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Do you want to be positive and in control?

Lets see if we can help you understand your diagnosis?

At this point you are probably feeling confused, angry, vulnerable, worried or don’t understand what the condition you have is, or you may just be relieved that you have a name for your ailment and you are not just imagining it, perhaps this is even after a long time. Sometimes this can happen because your doctor has been puzzled by your symptoms or that you simply have not bothered to seek help or even felt it wasn't worth bothering about until now.

You've made a positive start


This is a good place to begin and we will try to answer the many questions that you may have. You may feel that it is all too overwhelming at the moment to take in. You may say, Why me? It’s not fair, I’m too young, I’m too old and worry about your future, your family (relationships), your work, your lifestyle and financial situation and ask where do I go from here?

We are here to help you; with the aid of this website our aim is to provide you with enough support and information to understand, manage and cope with what is potentially a life changing event.

So what can you do to understand the diagnosis that you have just been given?

Learn
The more you know and educate yourself accurately about the condition the better you will be able to cope. Being well-informed removes the anxiety surrounding diagnosis. But be warned not all information is useful and sometimes it can increase anxiety as it sometimes paints the worst case scenario, as not every individual is likely to be affected in the same way.

Ask questions
If you don’t understand anything you’ve been told don’t be afraid to ask, that is what your healthcare providers are there for. Your healthcare provider has a duty to provide you with the most appropriate care and the correct information to support the decisions they make.

Get involved
Become involved in your care, the more you know about what is happening to you the more you will be able to make decisions about what you want. The health service in the UK is there for you, sometimes things don’t always go as planned, so if you are actively involved you will be able to cope with these problems. You should discuss all the treatment options available to you and agree on the one that you feel happy to use and suits your lifestyle.

Remember, if you have any worries about treatment or advice you are given during your visit to your healthcare provider, talk it through before the end of your appointment, otherwise the chances are you will not use the treatment or take the advice given. 

Engage
Be an active participant, don’t just accept what you are being told, develop a partnership, healthcare should be a two-way street, you should not just follow, but feel (and should be) part of the process. Remember its your body, your life, you have control too.

If, you don’t like what is being said, challenge it, this doesn’t have to be in an aggressive or confrontational way, people often respond better if you are calm and polite and are more likely to take your points seriously and act upon your comments.