Skin Problems: Psychological Causes

Skin problems tend to be chronic, and can have a substantial negative effect on a person’s physical, psychological and social wellbeing.  For instance, Psoriasis which is thought to be caused by an overproduction of skin cells, occurs among 2% of adults in the UK, and is characterised by scaly, inflamed and painful skin.  Eczema on the other hand is a very common condition that often starts in childhood, and manifests as itchy, dry or cracked skin; the cause of which is unknown.  Acne, another very common condition among teenagers, is considered to occur due to changes in hormone levels, and presents itself in the form of zits or pimples, predominantly in the upper body.  A key feature of all three conditions is that they tend to be experienced long-term, with no known cure bar treatments such as emollients, antibiotics and/or avoidance of triggers.  

There is however an evidence-based model that offers some hope in possibly curing chronic skin conditions through the identification of what causes them.  One such model is meta-medicine, also known as German New Medicine, which adopts a biopsychosocial approach to identify the precise cause of a disease and its process.  

According to this perspective, skin problems occur due to specific conflict shocks; that is, perceptions developed in response to experiencing significant external stressors.  Following the initial conflict, the process of illness follows two phases. The first is a stress phase encompassing typical stress symptoms such as tense body, obsessive thinking, sleeplessness and high blood pressure.  And the second is a resolution or healing phase which occurs once the initial conflict is resolved.  The entire process of illness, from conflict shock to resolution is considered to be biologically meaningful in that it serves the purpose of survival, awareness of maladaptive beliefs, resolution, evolution and healing of our organism.  

In the case of skin problems, each organ layer (e.g. epidermis, dermis, or hypodermis) is associated with a specific conflict, which, if not resolved, causes recurring skin problems.  For instance, the hypodermis is thought to relate to conflicts of low self-esteem due to a perceived unattractiveness of a particular body part.  The dermis layer is thought to be associated with conflicts of dirtying, defilement, attacks to integrity and uprooting.  Whilst the epidermis is characterised by conflicts of loss of physical contact.  To be more specific, Psoriases is said to be caused by feelings of separation from oneself, from one’s identity, or a conflict of an obligatory contact.  Eczema is caused by conflicts of separation such as fear of being left alone.  Whilst acne is caused by conflicts of dirtying, defilement or loss of self-esteem.  (Flech, 2001).   

Therefore, if you or someone you know is experiencing chronic skin problems, it is a good idea to assess whether you’ve experienced any such conflict shocks.  If so, this can then be followed by treating and resolving the underlying conflicts via various therapeutic approaches.  

If you would like any further details on how to identify conflict shocks, or if you have any questions about this topic then feel free to drop me an email.

Wishing you all the best.

Sadaf