Stress, anxiety, psoriasis? Loving Neem!

I have one word for you: Neem! “What is Neem?” I hear you ask. I discovered it by accident when I was given a little bag with essentials oils in it. It looked different and I had never heard of it, til then.

Out of curiosity, I Googled it. The results came back that it could help Psoriasis. Hmm, really? So I trekked to my local health store, 2 months ago and there it sat next to the body moisturizers. It was all alone and looked rather uninteresting, mixed with Aloe Vera. Not much of a description, no warnings on the slender tall bottle… so of course, I had to try it!

I have suffered from various types of Psoriasis since I was 18, first on my elbows and knees. I tried every ointment the doctors were willing to prescribe. It was red, itched and flaked and was annoying more than anything.

It always happened or became worse when I was going through a stressful situation. Six months before I left Yorkshire I had a sore throat, didn’t think anything about it. I just thought I was fighting a bad cold, four weeks later I broke out, in what looked like Chicken Pox, but I’d had Chicken Pox, so off I went to the docs asking for ointment again for my elbows and knees and something for the rash that had developed. I was told it was Scabies… Huh?

I had never heard of that til she explained and I was horrified. The doctor explained I must have shaken hands with someone carrying it, probably after signing them up for a mortgage…! Urgh. Then she kindly told me I was contagious… What?! No! She gave me an ointment and told me to slather it in and shower it off in the morning and all would be well again. It wasn’t. I went back and was given a different make of ointment, did it again. It didn’t help and it itched like hell! On the third visit, it turned she was too busy and I had to see another doctor in the practice. He asked me if I’d had a sore throat.. well, yes… He then asked me a couple of other questions and guess what? It turned out to be Gutterman Psoriasis! Several coal tar baths and ointment later and within a week it was gone! Hurray!

I moved to the south coast of England and the weather being warmer cleared my knees and elbows too! So happy, until I walked into someone’s house three years ago and unknown to me they had fleas, which bit me around my ankles and… yes hello, Psoriasis again. To cap it off last summer the soles of my feet started to hurt. My husband said it looked like I had Athletes' foot, so I soaked them in cider vinegar, bought various sprays etc. Nothing worked. I wash and powdered my socks and shoes daily, then my poor feet started to bleed and crack, not much fun when you’re walking in the summer heat in NYC.

I’d had enough, I hate going to the doctors but I was at a loss. It turned out I had developed Pustular Psoriasis… seriously? I mean how many different kinds are there? Turns out quite a few! So here I was slathering on steroid ointment and wrapping my poor feet in cling film plastic food wrap before going to bed at night. It worked to a degree, it stopped hurting… and then with this little gift bag with various bottles of essential oils, arrived and it was all transformed! I found Neem and Aloe Vera.

Not people know of the benefits of Neem and there are a lot, from Psoriasis to diabetes, anxiety, stress, mouth and gum problems, insecticide and ringworm and, well… the list goes on! But for the first time since being 18, I actually feel so much better. My feet have healed and I’m just left with a small patch on my right ankle… Hurray! I have tried everything in the past and all it did was help calm the skin a little so it didn’t itch… but this? This had taken away something the doctor told me I would have for years on my feet!

I love Neem!:) You can get it in ointments, tea, shampoos, toothpaste, mouthwash and essential oil drops

I know my Psoriasis flare ups stem from stress and anxiety. I had heard of Ayurvedic complementary and alternative medicine but hadn’t taken much notice of it. Now I do. I understand it’s not well known or heard of, but it worked for me. I also understand that there is good and bad to everything, that in some of the practices of it are frowned upon because of different techniques and the use of metals. I see it there is a place for different remedies for different ailments.

I read in a group, posting about Psoriasis about a man, who had lost his wife and child because she couldn’t bear to look at him anymore because he had it so bad. Not only was this poor guy dealing with the itching and burning of it, but now he was suffering the loss of his wife too. He was literally crying out for help! If someone had mentioned Neem to him, maybe it might have helped him. It is out on the sidelines that not many people know about it or it’s potential. Psoriasis affects relationships, marriages. People don’t get too close… just in case, it’s contagious. It isn’t but can create feelings of isolation and lonely.

Neem, however like everything it can have side effects and can be deadly to children.

Never ever give Neem to a child!

The possible side effects of Neem for adults are:

Kidney damage.
Low or no urine production.
Liver damage.
Yellow skin (jaundice).
Destruction of red blood cells.
An allergic reaction like rash, itching, swelling of the throat or mouth, wheezing.
Difficulty breathing.

For children if they are accidentally given it are:

Loose stools
Vomiting
Acidic blood
Drowsiness
Anemia
Seizures
High levels of white blood cells
Lose consciousness
Brain swelling
Coma Loss of life

For me it has worked miracles if you are suffering from an ailment and have tried everything, I say to you read about it fully and make the decision as to whether to try it.

I have given you the side effects which are known, here is the list it purports to heal: