Work with your parents, guardian or caregivers.

Learn how to take an active role in setting appointments, asking questions and expressing how you feel.

Ask your family for privacy if you need it.

If you don’t want them to tell other people you have psoriasis, that's okay. Let them know ahead of time to avoid embarrassment or hurt feelings.

Lead by example.

By taking care of yourself, building positive self-esteem and treating your disease, you could be an excellent role model for any younger siblings or other family members.

Verbal:

teasing, name-calling, threats, taunting

Social:

spreading rumors, embarrassing you in public, leaving you out on purpose

Physical:

stealing or breaking your personal items, hitting/kicking/pinching, spitting, pushing/tripping

Remember you are not alone.

Other people with psoriatic disease – more than 8 million adults and children in the U.S. – have been bullied. Some of the children and teens who have been bullied have shared their stories here on Our Spot.

Find your allies.

Surround yourself with people who want to be your friends. They’ll remind you how awesome you are.

Share some words of wisdom.

Calmly and respectfully tell the bully that you have psoriasis and that it’s not contagious. If the mistreatment continues, tell a trusted adult what’s happening. If that adult isn’t able to help, find someone who can.

Positive peer pressure

Positive peer pressure comes from friends and loved ones. It encourages you to be your best self.

Negative peer pressure

Negative peer pressure causes stress and can force you to make decisions you’re not comfortable with. When you find yourselves in these situations, trust your instincts. If something doesn’t feel right, walk away. Learn to say no. True friends will respect your decision. This kind of decision-making is part of becoming self-reliant and learning who you are.

You could also talk to your parents or another trusted adult about a key phrase or plan to use when you are in a situation that doesn’t feel right. This could be as simple as a one-letter text or a phrase to use on the phone.

Retrain your inner voice. 

When you catch yourself thinking negatively, try to change that habit. Don’t say anything to yourself that you wouldn’t say to someone else. Take time throughout your day to stop and check how you are talking to yourself.

Focus on the good. 

There will always be some degree of bad in our lives, but if you make that your focus, you won’t see all the things that are good. Write down a few things each day that are positive. Look back on what you wrote for encouragement on tough days.

Remember, you are still you.

Psoriatic disease can be tough, but it’s not you. People who have psoriasis and psoriatic disease lead positive and productive lives. They may even be better at dealing with stress and change because of their coping skills.