many patients with psoriatic arthritis have feelings of anxiety and isolation. these feelings of anxiety can lead to poor sleep which can result in more pain and fatigue the next day. dwelling on the anxiety and fears can lead to feelings of sadness and make you want to be alone as you stay isolated from family and friends. depending on where it is on your body psoriasis alone can be an embarrassing disease and a source of anxiety. you may feel like your psoriasis skin condition interferes with your relationships. perhaps people treat you differently because of the skin condition. new acquaintances may not understand psoriasis and feel frightened by it. even your good friends or family members may refuse your offers to help them out in the kitchen. in addition you may avoid relationships or feel like some people avoid you. when you combine the emotional toll of psoriatic arthritis with the pain and other discomfort you feel this illness can be difficult to manage on your own. coping with psoriatic arthritis can increase stress -- and then the increased stress response only worsens the skin condition. there's even some scientific evidence that worrying about your psoriasis may make treatment less effective. this can become a vicious cycle that creates even more problems including: difficulty sleeping leading to constant fatigue. inability to exercise leading to poor aerobic and physical fitness. difficulty concentrating from the side effects of medications leading to poor performance. increased irritability from lack of sleep or medication side effects. withdrawal from favorite activities because of low energy. changes in appetite due to medications. depression.
does psoriatic arthritis lead to anxiety and isolation?