Tag: social stigma
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More than skin deep: The spirituality of chronic dermatologic disease
Josephine McQuillanIndianapolis, Indiana, United States Chronic dermatological conditions such as psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), systemic sclerosis, vitiligo, hidradenitis suppurativa, and cutaneous lymphoma impose more than physical burdens—they profoundly disrupt patients’ spiritual and emotional lives. These lifelong, visible, and stigmatizing diseases fracture identity and belonging, leaving wounds that extend far beneath the skin. Historically and…
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Rethinking the impulse to empathize: a sister’s perspective on sympathy and stigma
Jeanne FarnanPennsylvania, United States “I am so sorry.” My youngest sister, Annie, was born during the spring semester of my first year of high school. These four words are etched into my memory, integrally intertwined with the events of that spring. “I am so sorry.” I remember these words so clearly because they clashed dramatically…