ESC want to send our deepest thanks to each and every person who shared their heartfelt — and sadly, sometimes heartbreaking — stories about #LifewithEczema. We read each and every submission, and witnessed a powerful connection between members of the eczema community.

From the bottom of our hearts, thank you for coming forward and letting yourselves be vulnerable for one another. We hope the campaign helped patients and family members find each other and hopefully feel less alone.

As next steps, ESC will share your submissions across our social media platforms as well as during our virtual meetings with decision makers.

Missed out? Here are some examples of the incredible submissions ESC received throughout the month of November:

“It is not just dry skin or itchiness in the winter. It is pain that is always present but must be ignored, nights spent tossing and turning, waking up and finding blood on your sheets from scratching in your sleep. It’s advocating for yourself when no one believes you. It’s living with the pressure and fear that there is always a flare waiting around the corner and there’s only so much you can do to stop it and no one but you can see it or feel it.”

“Eczema is a relentless, debilitating condition – and so totally misunderstood by society in general. It takes hours of treatment for some semblance of normalcy, triggers are difficult to identify and therefore to avoid. This is from a caregiver’s perspective.”

“I want people to know that eczema has a psychologic impact on people that suffer from this condition. It’s the itchiness almost every day and, the fact that we just cannot stop scratching.”

“That it makes you depressed and kills your self confidence. And that you are living in pain 24/7.”

“Having severe eczema is hard. And it controls so many things in your life. Everything I wear revolves around how it feels on my skin. It’s exhausting.”

Even though awareness month is over, the needs of the eczema community don’t stop. Please continue to share your journey with atopic dermatitis/eczema and include the hashtags #MyEczemaJourney, #MyADJourney, or #LifewithEczema.

Tag ESC to help us shine a light on what people with eczema live with every day, and why we all deserve better care and understanding.