You Don’t Have To Hide Behind Your Eczema, Your Story Is Empowering To More People Than You Realize
By Julia Chien
When battling a chronic condition like Eczema, sometimes we feel self-conscious speaking up. Many times in my life, I would feel nervous sharing about my Eczema, because I feared other people’s judgments, reactions, or misunderstandings.
Over the years of slowly gaining back my self-confidence, I started to become more comfortable talking about my Eczema. In fact, I wanted to share my story to anyone who was interested in hearing about it.
As an Eczema warrior, many of us spend years hiding behind our skin, feeling unworthy of expressing what we’re going through, and keeping to ourselves. The truth is, there is so much beauty going through a chronic condition that people who have never experienced it wouldn’t understand what it’s like to live with Eczema.
Whenever I share my story, educate others on what Eczema even is, and be in the mindset of, my story is beautiful and inspiring, everyone wants to hear about it, I always get such heartwarming responses.
People do genuinely want to know more.
I realized if I didn’t share my story, I would be doing a massive disservice to everyone facing Eczema — and also to my own self.
If we didn’t speak up, how would anyone without Eczema know and understand how much of a physical and mental toll it has on us?
If we didn’t speak up, no one would know about the difficult journey we go on in order to find solutions, to find healing.
If we didn’t speak up, no one would know that Eczema is so much more than just a skin condition.
The more we speak up about Eczema, the more that the world knows.
If we don’t advocate for ourselves, who will?
Let’s not hide behind our skin anymore and start sharing our story for the world to see.
After all, Eczema is a very physical condition and your skin is the first thing people see. It is the largest organ of the human body.
It will feel uncomfortable speaking up about something so personal.
You might feel like people are judging you.
You might feel like people think you sound stupid.
But we are our own worst critics, no one is judging you as much as you are judging yourself.
Every time you share your story and speak up about your Eczema, you are empowering someone.
Every time you speak up, you might change the life of someone who needed to hear what you said.
If we never share, no one will ever know.
Speaking up about your Eczema actually helps to increase self-confidence, because you are stepping out of your comfort zone and doing something you normally wouldn’t do.
That takes a lot of courage.
When you continue to practice this, confidence starts to build every time you decide to share to others about your Eczema.
No one has ever judged me but in fact, express the complete opposite.
They are inspired.
There were times when people thanked me for sharing, because they actually know of someone who has eczema or is going through topical steroid withdrawal.
As an Eczema warrior, we are here to support and advocate for each other, creating a community of like-minded individuals who are all on this journey together.
This community will only grow if we speak up.
People without Eczema will become more educated about this condition.
Doctors will be more open and receptive to the fact that Eczema is no longer just a skin condition, but so much more.
And you will also heal faster because you are expressing your thoughts and emotions instead of keeping them to yourself.
