Healing Psoriasis with EFT Tapping: Your Path to Relief
In this blog, you will learn how EFT Tapping for psoriasis offers a holistic approach to managing psoriasis symptoms by addressing emotional stress. Learn about the types and causes of psoriasis, and discover step-by-step EFT Tapping techniques to alleviate skin stress and support healing naturally.
What is Psoriasis | Types of Psoriasis | Causes of Psoriasis | Associated complications | How to manage Psoriasis | What is Emotional Freedom Techniques | EFT Tapping Steps to manage symptoms of Psoriasis | Case studies proving efficacy of EFT Tapping for psoriasis | Book a complimentary discovery call |
Are you fed up with the persistent itch, burning sensations, dryness, or other discomforts within your skin and longing for a natural way to find relief from psoriasis?
Living with psoriasis is more than just dealing with itchy, flaky skin. It can affect your confidence, your social life, and even your mental health. If you've tried various treatments with little success, you might feel frustrated and disheartened.
I understand traditional treatments sometimes fall short, leaving you searching for alternative solutions. But what if I told you there’s a holistic method that could help you manage your psoriasis symptoms?
There is one powerful technique that combines the principles of acupuncture and psychology which helps in healing and gaining emotional balance. It’s called EFT Tapping!
Stress is a well-known trigger for psoriasis. When you are stressed, your body releases hormones that can cause inflammation and worsen your symptoms.
For instance, once I worked with a client who was deeply angered and irritated by her psoriasis. The itching, the unsightly discoloration, and the layers of skin piling up made her legs look terrible, to the point where she didn’t even want to look at them.
She felt an intense desire to destroy the affected areas. Then we began by tapping on her symptoms and her emotional responses to them. Over time, we explored deeper emotions and aimed to reprogram her body and mind toward health and healing.
As we go into depth about how EFT Tapping can provide relief from psoriasis, let us first understand the facts about this disease.
What Is Psoriasis?
Psoriasis is a chronic skin disease characterised by red, scaly patches that can be itchy and uncomfortable. These patches often appear on the knees, elbows, trunk, and scalp. While there’s no cure, various treatments can help manage symptoms.
Types of Psoriasis and its Symptoms
Psoriasis can occur in several different forms. Each type has its distinct characteristics and symptoms. Here are the main types of psoriasis:
1.
Plaque Psoriasis (Psoriasis Vulgaris)
Description: This is the most common type of psoriasis, affecting about 80-90% of people with the condition.
Symptoms: It appears as raised, red patches covered with a silvery-white buildup of dead skin cells or scale. These patches, or plaques, often itch and may crack and bleed.
Common Locations: Scalp, elbows, knees, and lower back.
2.
Guttate Psoriasis
Description: This type often starts in childhood or young adulthood and appears suddenly.
Symptoms: It presents as small, dot-like lesions, often triggered by a bacterial infection such as strep throat.
Common Locations: Torso, arms, and legs.
3.
Inverse Psoriasis
Description: Also known as intertriginous psoriasis, this type occurs in skin folds.
Symptoms: It appears as very red lesions that are shiny and smooth. Inverse psoriasis is often worsened by friction and sweating.
Common Locations: Armpits, groin, under the breasts, and around the genitals and buttocks.
4.
Pustular Psoriasis
Description: This form of psoriasis can be localised or widespread.
Symptoms: It is characterised by white pustules (blisters of noninfectious pus) surrounded by red skin. The pustules can cause intense scaling and peeling.
Common Locations: Hands and feet (palmoplantar pustulosis) or can cover most of the body (generalized pustular psoriasis).
5.
Erythrodermic Psoriasis
Description: This is a rare but very severe form of psoriasis.
Symptoms: It leads to widespread redness and shedding of the skin over a large area of the body. This can cause severe itching and pain and may require urgent medical attention.
Common Locations: Can cover large areas of the body.
6.
Nail Psoriasis
Description: Psoriasis can affect the fingernails and toenails.
Symptoms: It can cause a variety of changes in the nails, including pitting, abnormal nail growth, and discoloration. Nails may become loose and separate from the nail bed (onycholysis), or crumble in severe cases.
Common Locations: Fingernails and toenails.
7.
Psoriatic Arthritis
Description: This type combines psoriasis with arthritis.
Symptoms: It causes joint pain, stiffness, and swelling, which can be severe. The joint symptoms can precede the skin symptoms or vice versa.
Common Locations: Joints, including fingers and toes, can affect the spine.
Causes of Psoriasis
Psoriasis is believed to be an issue with the immune system that makes skin cells grow faster than normal. The exact cause of psoriasis isn't completely known. It's thought to be an immune system problem where the body's infection-fighting cells mistakenly attack healthy skin cells.
Researchers think that both genetics and environmental factors contribute to the condition. The positive aspect is that psoriasis isn't contagious (1).
Following are the factors influencing psoriasis:
1.
Genetic Predisposition
Certain genes can increase your risk of developing psoriasis. If one of your parents has psoriasis, your chance of developing it is less than 1 in 10. If both parents have it, the likelihood increases to 1 in 3.
2.
Smoking
Smokers are twice as likely to develop psoriasis.
3.
Alcohol
Drinking alcohol can trigger and worsen psoriasis.
4.
Obesity
Being overweight promotes inflammation, which can exacerbate psoriasis.
5.
Infections
Infections like strep throat and HIV worsen psoriasis.
6.
Medications
Some drugs, such as beta-blockers and lithium, can trigger psoriasis.
7.
Stress
Stress is linked to the onset and flare-ups of psoriasis (1).
8.
Weather
Psoriasis often worsens in winter due to dry air, lack of sunlight, and cold weather.
9.
Skin Injuries
Injuries like scratches, piercings, or sunburns can cause psoriasis, known as Koebner's phenomenon.
It's important to understand that no single factor is enough to cause psoriasis on its own. For example, many people experience stress but do not develop psoriasis. However, if you have psoriasis and are going through a stressful time, you might experience a flare-up.
Are there any complications of psoriasis?
For some people with psoriasis, the condition can lead to more than just itchy, scaly, and discoloured skin. It can also cause swollen joints and psoriatic arthritis, and increase the risk of diabetes, obesity, high cholesterol, strokes, and heart attacks.
To prevent these complications, your healthcare provider will regularly monitor your blood pressure and treatment progress. You can also reduce risks by eating a balanced diet, exercising regularly, getting adequate sleep, and not smoking. Psoriasis flare-ups can last from a few weeks to several months, but medications can help speed up recovery.
Once symptoms subside, the condition enters remission, which can last from a few months to several years. Avoiding known triggers can help extend the remission period.
Psychological and Emotional Impact of Psoriasis
Psoriasis condition extends beyond its physical symptoms, significantly impacting the psychological and emotional well-being of those who suffer from it. The persistent itchiness, burning sensations, and visible skin lesions can lead to self-esteem issues, social withdrawal, and a negative body image.
Stress and anxiety are common as stress triggers flare-ups, creating a vicious cycle where stress worsens the condition, leading to more stress. This ongoing struggle often results in depression and a reduced quality of life.
Social stigma and discrimination further add to the emotional burden. Misunderstandings about the condition's contagiousness can cause distress and isolation. Emotional distress can also exacerbate symptoms and other health conditions.
Hence, education and awareness about psoriasis can reduce stigma and provide a more supportive environment, improving both mental health and physical symptoms.
How to manage Psoriasis symptoms?
Psoriasis can be treated with several options to relieve symptoms, including steroid creams, moisturizers for dry skin, medication like anthralin to slow skin cell production, medicated lotions or shampoos, Vitamin D3 ointment, and Vitamin A or retinoid creams (2).
Creams and ointments might be enough for small rashes, but larger rashes or joint pain (which could indicate arthritis) require more extensive treatments. Your healthcare provider will create a treatment plan based on the severity and location of your rash, as well as your age and overall health.
Apart from these medical treatments, Coping mechanisms like psychological support, counseling, support groups, and stress management techniques such as mindfulness, and meditation can help. EFT Tapping is also one of the holistic approaches that can complement psoriasis management.
WHAT IS EFT TAPPING FOR PSORIASIS?
Emotional Freedom Techniques, also known as EFT Tapping, is a simple, yet effective, practice that involves tapping on specific meridian points on your body while focusing on your physical or emotional issues. It's like acupuncture but without needles. This technique can help reduce stress and anxiety, which are often linked to psoriasis flare-ups.
Psoriasis can often signal an overcompensation in the body’s systems. By using EFT Tapping, you can send healing energy to the affected areas and help the body understand that it’s safe to let go of this overgrowth. Even in cases of autoimmune psoriasis, where the cause is unknown and the condition is chronic, EFT Tapping can offer a pathway to relief by addressing the emotional roots of the condition.
To learn more about EFT Tapping for psoriasis, download this free booklet now:
EFT Tapping STEPS to get relief from the symptoms of Psoriasis
EFT Tapping helps people deal with emotions that can harm how they feel.
It's easy to learn and use. Tapping can help you relax and feel better over time.
It also helps you notice your feelings better and get rid of negative thoughts and feelings from your mind and body.
(Here, I will tap into choosing stress as an emotional theme. You can select a specific emotion that could be responsible for your condition of Psoriasis.)
Step 1:
Identify What You Are Emotionally Stressed About
Pinpoint specific situations that trigger stress related to your psoriasis, such as work pressure, personal relationships, or self-image concerns.
1.
Investigate the physical nature of your emotions
Ask yourself the following questions:
- Where in the body do you experience the stress?
- What is the colour, texture, size, shape of the emotional stress in the body?
- What are the sensations like?
Emotional stress can sometimes be felt in a specific location like the heart and/or chest.
The important thing is to choose your specific trigger that leads to stress.
2.
Rate your stress level
On a scale of 0 to 10, assess how intense your stress feels regarding your psoriasis symptoms, where 10 is really high and 0 is not high at all.
This helps in tracking progress as you tap.
3.
Tap on the Karate Chop Point
Begin by tapping on the Karate Chop or side of the hand EFT Tapping points. Create a statement that acknowledges the stress and affirms self-acceptance, such as:
"Even though I feel this emotional stress and I feel it in my heart and it's at a number 7 and it's brown in colour and it feels painful, I deeply love and completely accept myself."
(Repeat 3 times.)
4.
Tap on the facial tapping points
Tap on the facial and upper body EFT Tapping Points for Emotional Stress using the phrases:
- Eyebrow: This psoriasis flare-up...
- Side of the Eye: So stressed about my skin...
- Under the Eye: It's itching and brown in colour...
- Under the Nose: So stressed about how it affects my daily life...
- Chin: At a stress level of 7...
- Collarbone: So overwhelmed by these symptoms...
- Under the Arm: This stress about symptoms unpredictability...
- Thumb: I feel it in my heart. It's a heavy burden...
- Index Finger: So stressed about my appearance...
- Middle Finger: Emotionally strained by its persistence...
- Little Finger: It's the colour of discomfort...
5.
Close the sequence
Come back to the EFT Karate Chop Tapping point and repeat once again,
"Even though I feel this emotional stress and I feel it in my heart and it's at a number 7 and it's brown in colour and it feels painful, I deeply love and completely accept myself."
6.
Relax
Take a gentle breath in and out, and take a sip of water.
7.
Test Yourself
After completing a round of tapping (one cycle through the points), reassess your stress level. At the end of the EFT Tapping for stress elimination, you can ask yourself the following questions. Notice any changes in intensity.
- What number is the emotional stress at now that leads to psoriasis?
- What colour is the stress now?
- How does it make you feel?
You can repeat this process by going back to Step 1 if you feel like the number could come down a little more. Repeat until your stress level related to psoriasis diminishes noticeably. If not, you can stop the process.
Step 2:
Explore Past Memories and Use EFT Tapping to Clear Past Stress
Identify past events linked to stress related to your psoriasis symptoms and resolve them using tapping therapy, akin to exposure therapy.
Connect with the stress and notice where you feel it in relation to your psoriasis flare-ups. To uncover memories linked to emotional stress caused by psoriasis, consider questions such as:
- When have you felt these sensations related to your psoriasis before?
- When did these sensations start? What triggered them?
- Was there ever a time when your psoriasis symptoms were less intense?
- What triggers worsen your psoriasis symptoms?
Step 3:
Focus on Expressing and Communicating Your Needs
Address the theme of suppressing emotions and the inability to express needs related to managing psoriasis. Focus on self-expression and releasing pent-up emotions linked to your condition.
Step 4:
Conclude With Love and Acceptance
Use positive tapping sequences to close your EFT session focused on psoriasis-related emotional stress.
An example could be: "Even though managing my psoriasis has been stressful, I now choose to approach it calmly and with acceptance."
Hold the thumb to promote calmness and release any remaining stress related to your psoriasis. You can also use techniques like Jin Shin Jyutsu finger-holding to further alleviate emotional stress linked to your condition.
Case Study supporting the effectiveness of EFT Tapping in getting relief from the symptoms of psoriasis
In a 2011 pilot study by Patricia M. Hodge and Corinne Y. Jurgens, individuals with psoriasis participated in a 6-hour Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) workshop, followed by daily practice.
Significant improvements were observed post-workshop and sustained at 3-month follow-ups, including reductions in psychological symptom severity (GSI) by 56.43% (p=.043), symptom breadth (PST) by 49.24% (p=.005), and improvements in emotional distress, symptoms, and functioning as measured by Skindex-29 scores (p-values ranging from .001 to .002).
These findings suggest that EFT Tapping for psoriasis may effectively alleviate psychological and physiological symptoms associated with psoriasis, highlighting its potential as a noninvasive therapeutic approach (3).
Hence, EFT Tapping offers a promising complementary approach to traditional treatments for psoriasis by targeting emotional stress, a known trigger for flare-ups. By addressing the emotional roots of psoriasis through tapping on meridian points, a person may experience reduced stress levels and potentially alleviate symptoms.
The integration of EFT Tapping into psoriasis management plans can provide holistic support, enhancing overall well-being alongside medical interventions.
Love,
Dr Rangana Rupavi Choudhuri (PhD)
P.S. Want to discover if EFT Tapping is right for you? Book a Complimentary Discovery Call with me now.
In summary, EFT Tapping can be an effective natural therapy in managing psoriasis by addressing emotional stress, a common trigger for flare-ups. By tapping on specific meridian points while focusing on stress and emotional responses, EFT Tapping for psoriasis helps reduce anxiety and promote relaxation. This holistic approach not only alleviates stress but also encourages emotional balance, potentially leading to a decrease in psoriasis symptoms.
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