Corinne OKeefe Osborn

Talking to your friends about your chronic illness can be surprisingly difficult. You might struggle to find the best way to convey what a significant role psoriasis plays in your life. Or you might find yourself downplaying it, as we are often hesitant to express our vulnerabilities, even with the people we love. But in the long run, open and honest communication strengthens friendships and provides more room for understanding. This advice from mental health professionals may help.
Lay Out t...

Psoriasis is a disease of highs and lows. During a flare-up, many people feel hopeless, isolated, and depressed. Even when your symptoms improve, it can feel like you are constantly on guard, worrying about when and where the next flare will strike. Psoriasis may be a heavy burden, but there are things you can do to help lighten the load.
Take Baby Steps
When itching keeps you up all night or inflammation makes it hurt to walk, even getting out of bed can feel like too much of a struggle.
“Ra...

If you are one of the millions of Americans living with psoriasis, then you know that it’s way more than just a skin disease. This chronic condition can affect your body—and your lifestyle—in countless ways. From itching and pain to fatigue and embarrassment, at times it can feel as though psoriasis is controlling your life.
To make matters worse, the inflammation of psoriasis can affect not only skin, but joints, tissues, and organs. And because of that, people with the condition also have a...

Do you ever feel like your psoriasis or psoriatic arthritis is holding you hostage? Is life just flying by while you’re stuck dealing with the endless burden of chronic disease? If so, you’re not alone. It’s all too easy, in this image-driven culture, to get caught up in the game of social comparison. We start to resent the people who post photos of the new house we can’t afford, the marathon we couldn’t run, or the bathing suit we don’t feel we could ever wear. We get jealous of other couple...

Did you grow up thinking that dating was supposed to be fun? While shows and movies make it seem glamorous, in most cases, it’s more stressful than fabulous. And while dating in the modern era is hard for a lot of people, for people with psoriasis, there can be even more pressure. Here, we’ll cover a few tips and tricks that will help you boost your confidence and lower your dating anxiety.
1. Remind Yourself That You’re Not Alone
When we meet someone new, we spend a lot of time thinking abou...

“Should I change my diet?” It’s one of the most common questions floating around the psoriasis community. And it seems like everyone has an opinion about it. Some people say that eliminating gluten reduces the severity of their flares. Other people may tell you it’s the alcohol or red meat that has to go. The most common recommendation may be to stick to an anti-inflammatory diet. But what actually works? Here, we give you a full rundown of what we know and don’t know about the effects of an ...

Corinne Osborn is an award-winning health and wellness journalist with a background in substance abuse and recovery. She is a frequent contributor to several major health publications, where she covers issues related to drug and alcohol abuse, sexual health, mood disorders, and chronic illness.
For more than a decade, Corinne has been interested in a harm reduction approach to risky behavior. In 2008, her work on the harm reduction techniques of Jamaican sex workers was recognized by the Amer...

Wellbutrin (bupropion) is a common antidepressant. Over the past few decades, it has helped millions of people claw their way out of depression. It is also used to help people quit smoking. While this drug has a variety of potential benefits, like all antidepressants, it doesn’t work for everyone. If you are considering stopping Wellbutrin, either because it isn’t working or because it worked and you feel better, you will want to know what to expect. This article will give you a good overview...