Skin Deep

Thank you so much for this article. I have had horrible persistent rosacea that started when my marriage became intolerable. I tried everything to clear it up, but then I realized it was from the emotional stress. In one month I will be living in a new place, and I have been feeling better than ever since filing for divorce. My skin is also starting to clear up. Emotional problems do show up on the skin.

I lived with a partner for 12 years. He left me apparently because we had grown apart, not because of the 22 year old coworker that was throwing herself at him. Who he was dating within weeks and married to less than two years latter.
Six years before our break up I had a ring made for him, he had designed it, which he wore constantly for those years. To his annoyance I never got round to having the ring engraved mainly because it was always on his finger.
However 12 months after our split I ran into him and after showing my horror at his distressing weight loss, he was always thin, now you could see his ribs through his tee shirt and he looked like he had aged 5 years. He pointed out that he was not wearing the ring. He had developed a rash, as unexplainable as his weight loss, under the ring which had not cleared up, so he had taken the ring off, it then became infected and it had to be treated with antibiotics. My mind said 'psychosomatic' but I said nothing to him as his arms trembled, and he repeated that he hoped I didn't hate him. Hmmm.
I could never figure out, was it his mind saying let the past go and move on, when he seemingly had already done so, what with the new girls name tattooed from wrist to elbow and their engagement. Guilt at his treatment of me, hence the weight loss, which he couldn't loss when he was going to the gym and cycling to work. Although I don't believe for one minute he physically cheated on me with her. Emotionally yes, he did. We had never fought in our relationship, and had both always been very supportive of each other. Although he pretty much just walked out, didn't believe in working on the relationship, 'you shouldn't have to work on a relationship' he announced ' I still love you but the spark has gone'.
Or could the skin reaction be something else. So I find your post, interesting, however it has brought this instance to mind, and with it unanswered questions.

He'd also had another silver ring on the other hand, not a problem.

Her accountant husband was, as usual with accountants, extremely helpful and emotionally demonstrative.

Yeah, "accountants" are stereotypically the opposite, but did you have to mention the profession of her husband to add to the stereotype? Couldn't you have said "her workaholic husband" (if he was a workaholic)?

Maybe there is a connection between the social category of "geeks" and acne? Or, social anxiety and acne? Always wondered about that.

I think that oftentimes, people forget that the mind and body are attached to each other and therefore affect one another. It's not a difficult concept to comprehend!

It's great to read a story about hypnosis being used to help people make significant changes in their wellness. The public is still woefully misinformed about hypnotism and what it really has to offer each of us. Forty-five years after Dave Elman's book on hypnotism was published, which has transcripts of sessions where he helped people with stuttering, rosacea, phobias, and more, hypnotism is still scoffed at by many in the medical and therapeutic communities. As professionals like yourself share your stories, I think that will change.