Cara Delevingne: Growth & Taking Mental
- British model and actress Cara Delevingne, 30, who has battled psoriasis (a chronic skin condition characterized by itchy, red, sometimes scaly patches that appear on the skin) says that talking about anxiety is the only way to curing
- If you are suffering from psoriasis, go see a dermatologist who can help determine the treatment plan best for you. Just know that you don't have to suffer alone. There are many things you can do to help lessen the severity or completely clear your symptoms.
- Dr. Marianna Strongin, a clinical psychologist and founder of Strong In Therapy, tells SurvivorNet that one of the main causes of anxiety is uncertainty about life, and a cancer battle can fuel anxiety for individuals because of the lack of uncertainty about the future.
The model and actress, who has battled psoriasis (a chronic skin condition characterized by itchy, red, sometimes scaly patches that appear on the skin) and confidently exposed her skin during flare-ups of the condition, spoke about her struggle with anxiety and how she achieved sobriety while sitting on a panel at the Youth Mental Health at NewYork-Presbyterian hospital earlier this week.
Living With Psoriasis
Delevigne, known for acting in “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets” and “Paper Towns,” noted that despite the widespread awareness of mental health conditions, most people aren’t able to “process the emotions behind it.”
She explained, “Sometimes the more energy you give to the anxiety, sometimes the worse it gets, you don’t know how to kind of move through it.”
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In Delevigne’s case, a 12-step program helped her with substance abuse as it gave her the tools to “not make any more excuses” and focus on getting better.
“I've found for me the one thing about getting sober is 12-step programs are really helpful more to me because of the community aspect,” she said. “Through this, I found an incredible source of community and inspiration from groups of women who lift each other up every day."
She added, “Treatment isn’t for everyone, nothing is for everyone, but the things that have really helped me is learning to love myself through other people, learning to really be myself with other people.
“Because I think my whole thing was always trying to be perfect even though I definitely wasn’t perfect.”
Despite trying to achieve perfection in the past, Delevigne still wore her psoriasis scars proudly in public, like when she wore a striking red and gold outfit, baring most of her skin at the 2022 Met Gala. The psoriasis was clearly seen on her elbow area.
In photos from another formal event last year, psoriasis was seen on her leg by the slit of her dress. And by October 2022, Delevingne appeared to have very little to no evidence of the skin condition in photos. The same goes for all of her recent appearances and social media posts from this year.
RELATED: How One Inspiring Woman Is Overcoming Psoriasis With Mindset and Meditation
Although it’s clear her psoriasis is being controlled, it’s unknown what type of symptom management regimen or treatments Delevingne has used.
Learning More About Psoriasis
Psoriasis is a skin condition that causes red, itchy patches to develop on the skin. It is a chronic disease, which means there is no cure for it. Fortunately, symptoms can often be managed with different treatments and, for some, even lifestyle adjustments.
What is Psoriasis? Understanding the Different Types and Symptoms of This Rare Skin Condition
The disease is rare; only about 3.2% of the U.S. population has it, according to the American Academy of Dermatology. Still, there have been major developments when it comes to treating psoriasis in recent years.
"Psoriasis is a chronic, auto-immune skin condition where you have red, scaly patches on the skin," Dr. Saakshi Khattri, a dermatologist/rheumatologist at Mount Sinai Health System, tells SurvivorNet.
“It is a chronic condition, which can ebb and flow. You can have good days and bad days.”
Dr. Saakshi explains that while anyone can develop psoriasis, the disease is more common in people between the ages of 30 and 50. Researchers believe genetics, as well as environmental factors, may play a role in the development of psoriasis.
Dr. George Han, a Dermatologist at Northwell Health/Lenox Hill Hospital, also tells SurvivorNet that psoriasis is also connected with many internal comorbidities.
“The most obvious of which is psoriatic arthritis, which is an inflammatory arthritis that if left untreated is quite debilitating…as well as a number of other comorbidities that we are learning more and more about, such as inflammatory bowel disease and metabolic syndrome,” Dr. Han says. “So, there are a lot of different connections, also with psychiatric comorbidities.”
If you are suffering from psoriasis, go see a dermatologist who can help determine the treatment plan best for you. Just know that you don't have to suffer alone. There are many things you can do to help lessen the severity or completely clear your symptoms.
Symptoms of Psoriasis
Psoriasis can often be asymptomatic (without symptoms), so people who have the disease will not be dealing with constant outbreaks or “flare-ups.”
“Some patients report itching [or a] burning sensation, but that does not tend to be the norm. It certainly can and does happen,” Dr. Khattri explains.
“Then if you have psoriasis in the genital area, it can feel uncomfortable just because it is in a very sensitive part of the body. But for the most part, it tends to be asymptomatic, generally speaking.”
Dr. Han says he sees many patients with itching, adding, “It is interesting because if you look at the older dermatology textbooks, there was this concept that psoriasis is not supposed to itch. And so they made this distinction between the itchy rash, which is eczema dermatitis and psoriasis, which is supposed to be not itchy.
“But if you actually ask patients and in some of the modern literature now, upwards of 80% to 90% of patients do have itching associated with their psoriasis.”
Generalized symptoms associated with the disease include the following:
- Red patches of skin covered with silvery-like scales
- Small scaling spots
- Dry, cracked skin that may bleed or itch
- Itching, burning sensation, or soreness
- Thickened or ridged nails
- Swollen or stiff joints
Dr. Khattri recommends seeing a dermatologist if you notice red, scaly spots on the body so a specialized practitioner can make a proper diagnosis and treatment action plan. Psoriasis patches can vary in how their appearance and location on the skin.
The disease may present as just a few spots with dandruff-like scaling or as rashes that cover large parts of the body. The most commonly affected areas are the lower back, elbows, knees, legs, soles of feet, scalp, face, and palms.
Dr. Han says most types of psoriasis can be diagnosed clinically, meaning your healthcare team can determine psoriasis on sight. With more atypical (not typical; rare) forms of psoriasis, a biopsy may be needed.
Mental Health & Anxiety
Battling cancer, learning to move forward after treatment, or managing a condition like psoriasis can be extremely stressful. How can you manage your anxiety while dealing with so many other things?
Dr. Marianna Strongin, a clinical psychologist and founder of Strong In Therapy, has been helping the SurvivorNet community by sharing coping mechanisms and a structured way to think about handling these issues.
“The way that I define anxiety is that it's an internal question that we simply can't find the answers to,” Dr. Strongin tells SurvivorNet.
Dr. Strongin says that one of the main causes of anxiety is uncertainty about life, and a cancer battle can fuel anxiety for individuals because of the lack of uncertainty about the future. Many people will turn to media platforms for answers, but Dr. Strongin says that individuals often end up with more questions as a result which leads to more anxiety.
The first step for coping during stressful circumstances is understanding one's anxiety. To do this, Dr. Strongin suggests checking in with oneself everyday to see where the anxiety is manifesting and what questions are causing the anxiety. From there, it's important to answer those questions and reassure oneself with positivity.
"The answers are our coping skills," Dr. Strongin says. "Some people are really good at always giving themselves answers…other people don't have the coping skills to answer their anxiety and as a result the anxiety increases. … We are all facing the same questions. Some are facing them much more than others and some are better at answering those questions than others. What's really important is to pay attention to is what those questions are, what the frequency of those questions are, and how you're answering them."
According to the Anxiety Depression Association of America (ADAA), anxiety disorders are the most common mental illnesses in the United States, affecting nearly 40 million adults 18 years and older.
Anxiety can be developed through factors including genetics, personality, brain chemistry, and life circumstances. Despite being highly treatable, only 37% of people receive treatment for anxiety disorders.
Anxiety symptoms include feelings of irritability, fatigue, and nervousness. People struggling with anxiety also have trouble sleeping, difficulty concentrating, and rapid heart rate which leads to hyperventilation.
Therapy and medication are the two most recommended forms of treatment for individuals with anxiety, and treatments vary depending on the type of anxiety an individual has.
Contributing: SurvivorNet Staff
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