6 Ways To Help A Friend with Vitiligo

What makes vitiligo more painful is not the disease itself but the social stigma. People with vitiligo often go into depression as some exhibit symptoms of anxiety. The social anxiety that comes with suffering from vitiligo is so enormous. Often sufferers would go into a tailspin which makes the situation doubly difficult for everyone including family and friends of sufferers. Vitiligo is not a dreadful disease but the rarity of this condition and the short mindedness of some has made it difficult for sufferers to bear. If you happen to know someone or you have family suffering from the disease, you can make a difference in their lives. Here are some ways that you can help ease the suffering and make life rosier for a vitiligo sufferer.
We present to you 6 Ways To Help A Friend with Vitiligo.

Understand the disease

Before you are able to help, it pays to know more about the disease. Vitiligo is non-contagious and therefore no one should worry about contracting the disease. It is an auto-immune disease t
hat is affecting the skin pigment thus creating patches of depigmentation. Doctors believe that it has something to do with genetics. If you are able to understand the disease you have a better grasp of the situation that your friend or family is going through. Acceptance within his or her sphere of friends and family is the first level towards eliminating social anxiety. If friends and family are able to live in comfort and peace with a person with vitiligo it will radiate to the society and community that people with vitiligo should be accorded with the same respect like any other person.

Spark inspiration
Sparking and inspiration is one way to lift the spirits of a person that is suffering from vitiligo. The fact is that vitiligo does not affect solely ordinary people as there are celebrities that also suffer from this disease. The late Michael Jackson confided to Oprah that he was suffering from vitiligo. The disease did not affect in anyway his ability to perform and entertain billions of people around the world. Rasheed Wallace said that he too is suffering from vitiligo. The disease did not hamper his basketball career and in fact was instrumental in helping the Detroit Pistons win the NBA world championship in 2006 and also propelled him as a viable inductee to the Basketball Hall of Fame. Greatness comes from within and vitiligo should not get in the way.
Start an information campaign
Now that you know a lot about vitiligo, you should be able to launch an information campaign to educate the society about the disease. An informed society should be kinder to people suffering from the disease because they know better that the disease should not be feared instead embraced.
Be a friend

There is nothing that can help a person with vitiligo by becoming a friend. A friend who is always standing by a sufferer in each life moment is what a sufferer would truly need. If you know someone suffering from a disease, offer friendship and it will go a long, long way.

Find a Support Group



Luckily, there are a lot of support groups that help vitiligo sufferers overcome the social stigma. A great support group should be able to heal both the skin and the mind as the community find cure. Often sufferers turn to groups to help them find cure for anxiety. Anxiety is the leading cause of depression and even mood disorders that can drive sufferers to do negative things. The Internet is a rich source of information about support groups that are located nearby.
Get professional help
Sometimes, people suffering from vitiligo have already developed advanced depression and even mood disorders. If the situation already gets beyond control it pays to consult a professional to treat the mood and help calm the mind. Vitiligo becomes dangerous only if the mind gets in the way and makes the sufferer do a lot of crazy stuff.
Vitiligo should not be feared. Society needs to understand this and the lack of education make it hard for sufferers to really embrace the situation. Progressive friends and family are instrumental in bringing change in the perception and it should start as soon as possible..