My Picture Positivity moment: Bike riding at Mackinac Island!
Having psoriasis may make you want to shy away from the world — hide yourself and your spots. You may feel frustrated. You may feel alone.
But you’re not alone. 7.5 million Americans have psoriasis. It’s the number one occurring autoimmune disease. And it affects all ages, all races, men, women, and even children.
A new campaign by La La Anthony, actress, best-selling author and TV personality, and the National Psoriasis Foundation aims to generate support for the psoriasis community and show that psoriasis is just one part of who we are. We are courageous. We are happy. We are pictures of positivity.
Picture Positivity.
It’s not only the name of the campaign, but it’s also a call to action. Picture a life of happiness. Picture a life of hope. Picture a life that’s positive.
I recently got the chance to speak with La La about her psoriasis and this new campaign.
“We’re taking some of those myths out about psoriasis and some of those insecurities people feel when they have psoriasis,” said La La, who has had psoriasis for 10 years. She said lack of knowledge from the general public can make people feel judged: Is it contagious? I don’t want you around me. This can make psoriasis patients suffer in silence.
“For so many years, I don’t think people were talking about it. … Just recently, people felt comfortable enough to get this information. I think having this open dialogue is really, really important to educating people about what psoriasis really is,” she said.
Picture Positivity hopes to change this.
So how does it work? Psoriasis patients are asked to visit the campaign page at picturepositivity.com, and view the picture gallery to see amazing photos and read inspiring captions. From scuba diving and riding bikes, to travel and simple portraits, the website captures positive moments to show other psoriasis patients that they are not alone and the psoriasis is only one part of who they are.
“We’re encouraging people to upload images of themselves living with psoriasis and still living accomplishing their dreams and goals and doing whatever in life it is they want to do,” said La La, who wants to use this great platform to be a voice to bring awareness to psoriasis. “People like me have psoriasis. It’s ok. It’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s nothing to be embarrassed about. … It’s all about discussion and that’s what we’re doing with this campaign.”
For La La, her rigorous schedule and spotlight can trigger her psoriaisis. “Stress is definitely a trigger. Excitement is a trigger. And I work in a job where there is a lot of stress and a lot of excitement. It’s about managing them,” she said. To manage the stress, she said, “For me, I get in really bad in my scalp, so I’ll wear my hair tied back in a ponytail or a bun, so I can go out there and feel confident … about doing my job and my mind won’t be so concerned on the psoriasis and the flare-up that’s going on.”
La La said she also does a boxing workout for exercise, drinks a lot of water, and tries to eat healthy to reduce flare-ups. “I can’t always eat healthy because I like chocolate too much,” she joked. These are some things that work for La La, but she said you can also see on PicturePositivity.com what works for other people to reduce stress and have a good outlook on life. “Take a little bit from everybody, put it all together, and figure out what works for you.”
But she wants to emphasize that when it comes to disease treatments, PicturePositivity.com is not a substitute for your doctor.
“I encourage everyone out there who has it to first go to your doctor and get the right medical plan that will work for you. Because what I do may not work for somebody else. I’m not a doctor, so I don’t want to prescribe any [treatments]. Get with your doctor and get the right medicine or the right treatments that’s going to work for you.”
About La La Anthony: La La is an actress, TV personality, fashion designer, and best-selling author. She will soon be seen starring in A&E’s series “Unforgettable.” You can also see her on the Starz original drama series “Power.” In her latest book “The Power Playbook,” La La shares with readers her advice to take control of their lives, reach financial independence, and excel at their careers.
