cloudydaze22
08-08-2006, 01:05 AM
I have been diagnosed with 2 auto immune diseases which are not physically painful, but are nonetheless hard to deal with. I was diagnosed with alopecia areata at the age of 17, but luckily it did not progress far. I was left with a white streak of hair (where it gre back) though. I am always afraid it will come back.
The one that really bothers me though, is Vitiligo. I've had it since childhood (12? before 12?). It started around the time I started becoming anxious and depressed (diagnosed bipolar later). My dermatologist seems to think both of these disorders were stress induced.
Like i said, the alopecia is now dormant, but the vitiligo keeps getting worse. I feel like a freakshow most of the time, and usually refuse to wear shorts in the summer because of this. I miss out on things like going swimming because i am self-conscious. Luckily, the white splotches on my face are not as noticable as the ones on the rest of my body, and makeup ALMOST covers them (wonder if anyone knows of a really good makeup that would completely cover?).
I'd just like to hear from others who suffer from these autoimmune diseases. Also i wondered if there is any way to fix vitiligo or keep it from progressing...
The one that really bothers me though, is Vitiligo. I've had it since childhood (12? before 12?). It started around the time I started becoming anxious and depressed (diagnosed bipolar later). My dermatologist seems to think both of these disorders were stress induced.
Like i said, the alopecia is now dormant, but the vitiligo keeps getting worse. I feel like a freakshow most of the time, and usually refuse to wear shorts in the summer because of this. I miss out on things like going swimming because i am self-conscious. Luckily, the white splotches on my face are not as noticable as the ones on the rest of my body, and makeup ALMOST covers them (wonder if anyone knows of a really good makeup that would completely cover?).
I'd just like to hear from others who suffer from these autoimmune diseases. Also i wondered if there is any way to fix vitiligo or keep it from progressing...