Speak Clearly: Perspectives on psoriasis

Meet Karin

“Being free of symptoms means being able to enjoy life without always having to think about my skin. I think that anyone who has not been in that situation cannot imagine what it is like to not think about your skin and about your skin condition.” – Karin Hafner

Her story: Karin has been living with a serious skin condition her entire life. On a trip a few years ago to the Dead Sea, she found she was able to share her experiences with others who also lived with serious skin conditions—and it opened up her whole world. Karin realized the underlying feelings and fears of people with serious skin conditions were shared by others, and that speaking with someone who has had similar experiences can be therapeutic. That realization motivated her to start Hautinfo.at as a reliable resource to connect and provide information for people living with skin conditions.

Her Speak Clearly goals: To educate others with serious skin conditions through her own experience, and to connect people to credible information about their condition

Meet Sascha

“We wanted to create a space for psoriasis patients to share their stories and these stories can possibly empower others to speak up and advocate for the best care possible for their psoriasis.” – Sascha

His story: After starting his blog for psoriasis patients to share their journey with the disease, Sascha realized the importance of having a safe space where people can talk about their experiences. Through his website and podcast, he’s learned so much about the different approaches to lifestyle, attitude and disease management people living with psoriasis have. His podcast has allowed others to share this knowledge with the psoriasis community, and it made him recognize that sharing your story can not only help you, but others as well.

His Speak Clearly goals: To inspire others to aim higher and take control of their psoriasis by sharing his own experience

Meet Lianne

“Whether that’s online, through social media, through your doctor. – find something that you are comfortable with and ask the questions that you need to ask in order to get the support you need and deserve.” – Lianne

Her story: After sharing her psoriasis story on social media, Lianne learned firsthand how powerful the online community can be as a support system. That marked the day she went from letting her psoriasis hold her back to becoming a powerful voice for the community—a community that helped her build real friendships with people she was able to lean on in hard times.

Her Speak Clearly goals: To empower others to be their own advocate, and not let their psoriasis define them

Meet Bernd

“After suffering from psoriasis for the majority of my life, I finally came to a place where I felt free from my disease. I want to help others get to a place where they can achieve that psoriasis-free feeling.” – Bernd

His story: Living with psoriasis for over 30 years, Bernd understands the struggles that come with living with a chronic skin disease. He knows that feeling free from your psoriasis can take hard work. That’s why he’s made it a priority to reduce the stigma associated with psoriasis and help others feel confident to demand the best care possible from their doctor—so they too can feel free in their own skin.

His Speak Clearly goals: To improve education around psoriasis and reduce the stigma around living with the condition

Stay tuned for content from our Psoriasis Storytellers soon! In the meantime, hear more of their stories and stories from others on story page.

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