Ben's Story

Ben shares his story and opens up about why taking part in the London 10k is so important to him

Psoriasis has been a part of my life for nearly 10 years and as I turn 40 next year that means nearly a quarter of my lifetime. I’ve always admired reading stories of fellow psoriasis sufferers and my story isn’t as severe as others. The reason I’m happy to share my story is there are different forms of psoriasis and also different severities but there is still a similar experience in having to deal with it.

As I was about to turn 30, I started to notice white plaques and red marks on my elbows and knees. Off the back of seeing my GP and having a review this was the first time I heard the word psoriasis. I had no clue what it was or what it meant. I was given steroid cream and other moisturisers to try and treat with no luck. Then came the light treatment which helped a little but still no change.

I have 2 young children and their friends were starting to ask questions about my skin. After years of putting up with it I decided to try and change my lifestyle. I drank less, ate certain foods, and started to exercise regularly. This actually made my psoriasis worse. It spread across all over my body and scalp. There are some days when my skin splits open between my ears and head as well as in between my groins. This can cause severe pain and discomfort but something I’ve come to deal with.

I’ve concluded that psoriasis is a part of my life. No one in my family has ever experienced it before so I am still continuing to learn about it and trying to treat it. I'm used to people staring at it too.

By following the charity I’ve found comfort in seeing I’m not alone and when I look at what is going on in this world actually having psoriasis isn’t that bad. I’m hoping to compete in the 10Km London race for the charity in July. I’m hoping to help raise awareness as the more people know about psoriasis the better. It may even help people understand rather than stare.