How I Healed 10 Years of Psoriasis and IBS with Ayurveda
Or why I could not wait for modern science to come and save me.
One morning in summer several years ago, I poured a bottle of extra virgin olive oil over my head.
My gross, itchy, burning scalp had left me so desperate that I was ready for any solution.
Only hours later, the bored dermatologist from around the corner took one look at my skin and just remarked, “Psoriasis.” An incurable, genetically predisposed, autoimmune skin condition that usually gets worse with time. I don’t recommend doing a Google image search, but then you get the gist. The prescription was the following: a cortisone creme and the “Head and Shoulders Anti Dandruff” shampoo.
Unfortunately, like most doctors nowadays, he had failed the empathy exam. Had he asked a little more about what was going on in my life at the time, he would have known about having had multiple rounds of antibiotics beforehand, build-up of stress throughout my time in school, or being in an unhappy long-distance relationship.
But I was there for diagnosis, not chit-chat.
Nevertheless, against the odds, how have I gotten rid of this nasty disease?
To be fair, I “only” experienced Psoriasis on the scalp and face in my life. But anyone with a chronic condition can confirm this is enough of a problem.
So, I hope that someone out there will find some inspiration in my story for their own healing.
I had dandruff on my scalp since I was about 13 years old. However, it really became a problem when a good amount of stress and antibiotics for reoccurring cystitis and tonsillitis came into the mix. Initially, upon receiving the news of this disease, I made it part of my identity. It was, I guess, a way to deal with the news. Is it pretty cool to say I have an incurable condition? Makes one somewhat special.
Of course, it only got worse.
Doctor after doctor told me the same diagnosis. The treatment protocol usually involves something to suppress the immune response. My digestion also started to take a huge toll, affecting my daily life. At one point, I was diagnosed with Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
I was in my early 20s, the years in which to explore and have fun. Yet there I was, tired and diseased.
At one point, I began suffering from an ever-increasing amount of mood swings and anxiousness. Interestingly, it was at this time in my life that I started to develop the strangest determination to do something about my state of “dis-ease.” For my mental health, it would have probably been better to have a more accepting mindset. But something in me couldn’t accept.
It was in one sleepless night that I decided to make it my mission, my soul’s path, to cure myself.
Yes, I was that dramatic about it. I decided that I would be able to achieve this at some point in my time on this earth. Given the forecast of expert doctors and scientists, I also expected it would take many years. Possibly decades? Honestly, though, just as Confucius said:
“A healthy (wo)man wants a thousand things, a sick (wo)man only wants one.”
Weeks later, I heard the first podcast about Ayurveda, the ancient healing system from India. At that point, though, I did not jump on it yet. My skeptical nature and Wikipedia entries, which deemed it a pseudoscience, kept me away. I was still mingling with some odd diet changes and introducing foods like fermented Sauerkraut.
I actually thought finding one type of food or pill and adding it to my life could fix EVERYTHING.
And Sauerkraut made sense since I was reading obsessively on all matters of microbiome and gut health.
But I was also increasingly confused. The information was very conflicting. We all know the drill: On one fine day, there is a study saying that coffee is good for you, and the next, there is one stating the complete opposite. I needed clear guidance and a system to lean on.
I painfully realised that I could not wait for modern science to come and save me.
I required something holistic and sustainable. Instead of suppressing symptoms, I needed something that descends into the depth of my suffering and works at the root cause. Eventually, after months, Ayurveda somehow appeared on my radar again. It was only a few weeks before Covid shut down the world that I finally decided to find an Ayurvedic practitioner in my area.
But it didn’t take off as I wanted it.
The practitioner in my town was anything but trustful or kind, which was a real bummer, and I lost faith for a while. Yet my intuition, a few good resources, and an incoming lockdown nudged me toward this path nonetheless.
So I started going about it on my own.
They say in Ayurveda, the morning sets the day, so I pulled myself together and woke up early to do tongue scraping, oil pulling, and Abhyanga. Before that, my morning routine consisted of lying in bed, endlessly scrolling on my phone. A structured but caring routine was actually fitting since it gave me something to hold on to. Thanks to lockdowns, I was also not tempted by any of the usual life distractions. Over the course of 6 months, I changed my life bit by bit.
The most immediate effect I saw was in my digestion. After only a few weeks of incorporating a warm and soothing Ayurveda diet, my stomach aches decreased dramatically.
The toilet was not a sh*t place after all.
I even started to doubt if I actually had IBS at all.
The Abhyanga oiling in the morning made me feel protected and mentally strong. The early nights and early mornings gave me proper rest. My energy levels didn’t crash after lunch. I went about my day with a consistent, rested state of mind.
I started my transformation in the spring of 2020, and by the autumn of that year, I was feeling happier and healthier than ever.
Yet my skin was still in an unpredictable state, meaning that most days I would spend scratching and burning. Also, if I did not follow my newly established diet to a tee, my digestive health would crumble like cookies. A summer vacation in France with the occasional wine and cheese meant an aching stomach and an itchy head.
I knew I had only scratched the surface (or skin) and still needed to go deeper. Nearing the end of 2020, I sought another Ayurvedic doctor. This time, I had a trustworthy and understanding person sitting before me. This is where therapy started, and my issues were targeted in a specific manner.
One could think that all was well from that point on.
But healing does not happen in a linear fashion.
The treatment protocol included more diet tweaks, yoga, breath work, meditation, and shots of unbearably bitter and disgusting herbs. Soon after, I developed a large outbreak of Psoriasis on my cheeks, brows, and nose. Maybe it was from the treatment; maybe it was from something different. Regardless, those weeks were one of the most difficult and anxiety-inducing periods. Periodically I questioned my chosen path again. I was even glad for Covid since I did not have to show my face.
After about 3 months, my Ayurvedic doctor had also signed me up for a mini version of the famous Panchakarma treatment, which, to be fair, is worthy of its own article. This procedure included going through enemas, purgation, a strict diet, and, again, insanely disgusting herbal shots.
However, after about four months of work, there was finally light at the end of the tunnel. My scalp started to show signs of healthy skin, my senses started to clear, and a newfound optimism began to show. After so many years, the itchiness suddenly receded from one day to the next.
In the evenings, I expected a burning scalp, but the storm never returned.
Between the end of the treatment and now, 98% of the time, I was able to live without my former issues. Sometimes, in the midst of summer, it still showed up in mild forms. So, in the autumn of 2023, I did a full Panchakarma treatment at a hospital in Germany.
Yes, I did that purgation treatment voluntarily again.
Since then, I have been completely free of any issues.
Throughout the past years, I had to do my fair share of reflection on disease and its potential for transformation. Of course, I wish I had never had to deal with my health in my 20s in the first place. I also know that there are people who have it much worse. Yet still, it was also one of the best things to happen. Without it, how would I know that I can overcome anything?
How would I know that it is possible to solve problems that are conventionally deemed impossible to solve?
With this story in my pocket, I developed a deeper care and intuition for my body, but also for my Self. I gained an immense appreciation for the vast wisdom of an ancient science and culture from which we can learn so much. I feel better in my late 20s than I did in my early ones.
Nowadays, olive oil remains on my shelf for culinary purposes.
