High stress levels can aggravate atopic dermatitis (eczema), but, in the words of LeVar Burton,¹ “you don’t have to take my word for it”: there is a generous amount of research on the topic.²

For me, learning to manage and reduce stress in my life has probably been the single hardest factor to change. I will eventually do a blog post on some of the tips and tricks that I’ve picked up along the way.

In the meantime, it’s important to know that you can do everything else exactly right (internal, external, etc), but if your stress levels are off the charts, the chemicals that that stress produces in your body (e.g. cortisol), can cause your own nervous system to counteract all of your efforts. For more information on this, I highly recommend this academic paper.

For anyone with a history of trauma, I found the book, The Body Keeps the Score, incredibly powerful. It was eye-opening and validating to know that trauma and PTSD have actual — not imagined — physiological effects on the body and the brain (not just the “mind”). The first half of the book discusses the evidence and data and presents case study (illustrative) patients with their names changed for privacy. The second half of the book covers various “alternative therapies” to reconnect with and embrace one’s body (eg yoga). I highly recommend the book if you (like me) have a history of trauma. That said, it’s not a replacement for 1:1 clinical care. If you are suffering from a mental health crisis, please reach out to a certified physiologist/psychiatrist for clinical care.

Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you.

1. By the way, I LOVE LeVar Burton and his aura as a human being has soothed me since Reading Rainbow!!! If you aren’t already listening to “LeVar Burton Reads”, you owe it to yourself! https://www.levarburtonpodcast.com/ His podcast absolutely helps reduce my stress levels and his soothing voice calms my soul. ↩︎
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3704139/ ↩︎