Dave's Story

After living with psoriasis since being a teenager, Dave has recently learnt to accept his psoriasis and hopes to inspire others to do the same.

My name is David Allen and I remember the day my life changed forever.

I always suffered from skin conditions from an early age but I was 16/17 when diagnosed with psoriasis, a teenager full of life and promise, when I first noticed the red, scaly patches on my skin. Psoriasis had arrived, uninvited, and would become a constant companion for years to come. As a young man, I felt like my world was crumbling around me. The embarrassment, anxiety, and depression that followed were overwhelming. I felt like I was alone in this struggle, like no one could possibly understand what I was going through.

The search for a cure became an all-consuming quest. I tried every treatment under the sun: coal tar, double base creams, vitamin tablets, sun beds, and countless ointments. Some provided temporary relief, but nothing seemed to work for long. I even experimented with diet plans, hoping that certain foods would soothe my skin. But no matter what I did, the psoriasis persisted, leaving me feeling defeated and hopeless.

Social anxiety became a major part of my life. I stopped going out, stopped mixing with others, and stopped living. I felt like I was hiding from the world, ashamed of my skin. The fear of being judged, of being seen as "different," was suffocating. I felt like I was losing myself to this condition.

I’m now 44 years old, but something about a year ago shifted inside me. I realised that I couldn't change the fact that I had psoriasis, but I could change how I responded to it. I decided to accept my condition after all these years of struggling with it and I decided to stop fighting it and start living with it. And in doing so, I found a new sense of purpose. I wanted to help others who were suffering like I had, to let them know they weren't alone.

That's when I started writing "The Red Patch Diaries." It was a journey of self-discovery, of healing, and of hope. I poured my heart and soul into those pages, sharing my story, my struggles, and my triumphs. And the response was overwhelming. Readers reached out to me, thanking me for my book, telling me that it had saved them from the darkness of psoriasis. Messages like these made all the hard work worth it.

One treatment that has worked best for me is acceptance and self healing. It's not a cure, but it's helped to manage my symptoms, to give me some control over my skin. But even the mental toll of psoriasis can't be underestimated. It's a daily struggle, a constant reminder that my skin is not like others.

Writing my book was therapeutic for me, but it also gave me a sense of purpose. I realised that I wasn't alone, and neither were the thousands of people who reached out to me after reading my book. We're a community, bound together by our experiences, and together, we can find strength and hope.

Now, I've finished a new children’s book called “Patchy The Brave.” I wrote this book to hopefully help children that suffer with skin conditions from a young age. But it’s also a bridge for parents and school teachers be able to read to children and build a conversation with the children either to educate them on conditions and stop bullying others that do have conditions or to start that awkward conversation into supporting the children that suffer and helping them understand that its nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed of, by taking this step I feel it can help stop future social anxiety and severe depression

My story I see is one of hope, resilience, and determination, and I continue trying to inspire others through my writing. I hope to become a leading voice of support for those suffering in silence and an advocate for those that need hope…. My story I hope is one of inspiration but I feel my real journey is at the very beginning.