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Skin as Advertisement for Psyche
Consider a woman who, the day after a farewell handshake with a beloved
teacher, developed an inflammatory skin disease on the palm of her right
hand. The connection between skin and emotion is not always so symbolic. But
it is extremely common.
Some 30 to 75 percent of patients who show up in dermatologists' offices have an
emotional component to their disease, contends Carolyn S. Koblenzer, M.D. One of
the country's few dermatologist psychiatrists, she told a recent meeting of the
American Psychiatric Association how the skin and the brain are intimately
connected.
For starters, said Koblenzer, of Philadelphia, both are derived from the same
embryonic tissue. Then, of course, skin is the visible, physical boundary of the
self.
As a result, it is a prime medium for psychosomatic expression. But there's a
difference between patients who take their condition to the dermatologist and
those
who see a shrink. "Dermatologists' patients usually have a single, circumscribed
psychiatric symptom, while they function relatively well in other aspects of
their lives.
By 'choosing' skin disease, they can deny their psychopathology," Koblenzer
reports.
In addition, the skin is a full-fledged immunological organ; every type of
immune
cell is represented in its precincts. The immune system, scientists now know, is
disruptable by stress and emotions.
Persons born with a genetic predisposition for skin disease are more vulnerable
to
an outbreak when in emotional turmoil. Psoriasis, eczema, warts, or even chronic
acne are just a few conditions that can be triggered or exacerbated by stress.
And that
unsightliness can itself create stress, generating a vicious cycle.
What makes the skin a psychosomatic battlefield? Koblenzer contends that touch
is
the first form of communication between mother and child-The way a new mother
handles her child and the emotional vibe she gives off while doing it influence
skin
sensitivity for life.
Psychology Today
Wilmes-Reitz Psychological
23632 Calabasas Rd., Suite 202
Calabasas, California 91302
(818) 591-8270
wrpsych@aol.com
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