Peer pressure. Celebrity endorsement. Expert testimony. Gut feelings. Impulsivity. Shared experiences. People do a lot of things for a lot of different reasons. Ad agencies bank on some of the reasons listed above. Can you blame children for wanting to fit in with their classmates and making a poor decision? How many commercials have you seen with Matthew McConaughey hawking a Lincoln with his silky smooth voice? Juries decide guilt and innocence based on what doctors and scientists say while on the stand. Some of these tactics are maligned and ridiculed.
Others are venerated and praised. The last one listed above is having a profound effect on people from all walks of life when it comes to their healthcare. An example of this, mixed with a healthy dose of celebrity endorsement, can be seen by actress Katie Lowes sharing her story of struggling with plaque psoriasis on the National Psoriasis Foundation’s website.
Katie, who has appeared in numerous television shows and lent her voice to several animated films, was embarrassed and shocked by her diagnosis. It led her to isolate herself and second guess her thoughts and decisions.
She has partnered with the National Psoriasis Foundation and Janssen Biotech to encourage others with psoriasis to share their stories. In honor of Psoriasis Awareness Month, we want to highlight her story.
Psoriasis is a disease that is characterized by scaly patches of red skin. These patches can appear anywhere on the body, but they are most common on knees, elbows, and the scalp. This disease is far more than it appears as it can affect a person’s psyche and other organs beside the skin. In fact, psoriatic arthritis is frequently present in people with psoriasis.
A website has been set up for people with psoriasis to log on and read stories of others who suffer from this disease. Psoriasis: The Inside Story also helps newly diagnosed people connect with others who have been in their shoes before.
Other organizations also are donating knowledge, money, and services to the cause, including Fodor’s Travel, ClassPass, and Burlington Stores.
It’s wonderful to see the community binding together to support each other.