Psychological Reactions on Alopecia Areata

Alopecia areata is a condition that is not contagious and it’s not followed by rushes, hives or itching although it’s considered to be a skin disease because it affects the largest organ of the body. However, it has a major effect on the human psyche and it’s experienced as a trauma. It can occur at any age, and affects males and females equally. Having the disease can impact people differently, but there are some well-known experiences among the ones affected. It can be very frustrating and can cause a variety of feelings, like sadness, depression, hopelessness, anger, the need for isolation, fear that others might find out that you have the disease, embarrassment, irrational behavior when searching for a cure, guilt related to the way it affects your family and friends, the feeling that no one understands what you are going through. That’s why people feel enormous relief when they meet someone in the same situation. It’s also challenging for the parents because they can’t help their child, for the siblings because it also affects their life as well and for the emotional partners involved. It’s very helpful to talk with a mental health professional because they are trained to help in situations like this. They can explain how you can work through your feelings and teach you some coping skills. The best way to know if you need counseling is to think about the ways Alopecia areata is impacting your life. If the way you used to live your life has changed drastically and you stopped doing things that make you happy, you started missing work or school often or you lost interest in talking with your loved ones, than you might want to consider counseling. Counseling gives you the opportunity to discuss openly about the things that trouble you. It can affect the way that you see yourself, but also the way other people see you. Even though many men with Alopecia areata lose or have lost their hair, and the bald look on men has become acceptable if not desirable, adapting to a diagnosis of alopecia areata as a man can still be extremely hard, but it’s even harder for women. A number of scientific studies have shown that women are more likely to suffer psychological effects due to hair loss. The reason for that is because the hair for women is perceived as a symbol of beauty. It can affect their self-esteem greatly. Losing hair may also affect someone who is in front of the camera or who needs to be in the public in a very devastating way professionally. Though an Alopecia areata diagnosis would have no effect on one's ability to perform in the workplace, many times individuals become distracted by their new appearance and the perceived reactions from co-workers. Whether you’re having a problem because of the alopecia areata on your work, in the relationship or in school, educating people about the condition might be the best thing to do. The National Alopecia Areata Foundation has a lot of material and inspiring stories that can help you find the right way.