don's report archive

by Donald B. Ardell, Ph. D.

Wellness in the Headlines
(Don's Report to the World)

One of the feature attractions of a lifestyle oriented to self-management, besides the obvious benefits (such as better health, increased energy, attractive appearance, more fun) is that it increases your confidence level when dealing with challenges, crises, or problems. Related to this advantage is another: When dealing with challenges, crises, or problems, the focus is usually not disaster relief but rather a search for new opportunities inherent in the difficulty that forces change.

One area that is almost always on the horizon for self-managers is "how can the adjustments needed to meet change lead to even higher performances and attendant satisfactions?" Why settle for problem amelioration when life enhancements are so much more rewarding?

I thought about this quality of self-management the other day when a visitor to Wellness Web asked me to comment on the matter of zits and wellness! I had to ponder this awhile.

As anyone who ever had one or more zits can attest, this and other skin conditions can certainly inhibit your style and focus on great performances, especially in the crucial early years. A zit is just one more unpleasant skin condition broadly known as acne. As much as any illness, this non life-threatening problem tests a person's capacity to adapt and prosper, despite slings and arrows of an outrageous fortune.

So, what then is a recommended self-managing approach to this situation? I suggest that it is to deal with it in a manner marked by a minimum of self-pity, victimhood, whining, and pessimism. Consider that this, too, shall pass. A self-responsible mindset includes a resolve to do what one can for whatever has to be attended and, via cognitive reframing (seeing things in a positive light), to seek advantage in the challenge faced. Of course, functioning in such a high state of self-management is not the easiest thing in the world when you are sixteen and you have to deal with a zit the week of the Junior Prom!

But, who said self-management was easy? It is a skill, like swimming, that can be learned. I think self-management concepts should be taught from the earliest grade level, and modeled by parents, as well. But, I digress. Let's get back to zits. I mean, acne, which includes but is not limited to psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.

This is not a problem for the Junior prom set alone. We think of acne as an affliction visited upon adolescents, but adults are as likely to suffer. Hormones are implicated, but then hormones are implicated in lots of things. Even my hormones have been implicated on occasions -- in devilish behaviors. Who will ever forget that even the illustrious leader of the free world in the mid-seventies, President Jimmy Carter, was victimized by hormones that caused him to lust in his heart. But, nobody held it against him. Like boys, hormones will be hormones.

Getting back to my theme, acne -- current thinking is that acne is caused by inflamed pores, brought about by hormonal activity that sets off the sebaceous glands, and leading to an overproduction of an oil called sebum. Bacteria accumulate in hair follicles beneath the skin and BINGO -- there is that disconcerting inflammation in and around the pores. This leads to the blotches called everything from "pimples" to zits to "YUCK -- that's disgusting!" Terms such as the latter are very hard on the delicate egos of teens and not so easy on the sensibilities of adults, either.

When I was a kid during the early part of a recent century, we were told that sweets were the main culprits, along with impure thoughts (I was raised Catholic). Chocolate was toxic, French fries were ruinous, soft drinks, and most any sweets were asking for trouble, ice cream was deadly (at least cosmetically) and you should never, ever squeeze a pimple, which we did anyway when it approached the explosive stage. Little or nothing was said about saturated fats or a balanced diet, key nutrients like the B vitamins, vitamins A, D, and C and the minerals selenium and zinc, sunscreen use, high caffeine, stress management, the importance of exercise, adequate sleep, plentiful water, avoidance of tobacco, or other healthful practices. The reason so little was said, of course, is that so little was known a few decades ago.

The self-management approach to acne today is to obtain quality medical advice from a skilled dermatologist, check the Internet for added information targeted to your unique situation and, most important of all, continue to focus on a life-enhancing existence. Of most importance is to focus on matters of far more consequence, such as your passions, enjoyments and life goals. What do you think? Sound reasonable? Your comments?

(Note: This essay will be filed in the archives in the MENTAL DOMAIN under the skill area of emotional intelligence. Additional articles related to this theme may be found there.)

(Ed. Note: Views expressed in this and other columns are those of the author and not necessarily those of the SeekWellness Editorial Board.)

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