TAMPA, Fla. — Millions of people everyday struggle with their mental health, but if you're living with a skin disorder where strangers may stare or point at you, it can create more anxiety.
That's why Tonja Johnson created the support group “Beautifully Unblemished.” She was diagnosed with vitiligo nine years ago, and it really affected her mental well-being.
“I'm a Black American female, and I've lost pretty much all of my color where I've turned almost completely white. And so that was hard for me; it's very devastating for me to see the changes,” explained Johnson.
Johnson is not alone. More than 70 million people worldwide live with vitiligo, an autoimmune disease that attacks pigmentation causing people to lose their natural skin tone. Vitiligo causes significant challenges to those living with it.
Johnson said many people with the disease will even isolate themselves due to feeling self-conscious about their skin.
“They're very rarely going to go out to the grocery store. They very rarely go to the mall because of the way they're feeling within themselves. The stigma is that we're contagious, and we're not contagious,” said Johnson.
Johnson is now looking to help others and put on a public mental health forum in Lakeland called “Mind My Skin: Creating a community that cares.” She wants to raise awareness for all skin disorders, along with vitiligo, including alopecia, psoriasis, eczema, acne, and melanoma.
“We're going to have dermatologists there that are going to be giving overviews of what those disorders are, and what we can do to treat those disorders as well as mental health counselors will be on hand,” explained Johnson.
Johnson hopes this upcoming event will help those who are struggling with any skin disorder find the support they need.
“We want to really strive to get them to where they have a better quality of life, living with whatever skin disorder it may be,” said Johnson.
The free public mental health forum is on April 29 at Simpson Park Community Center in Lakeland. It runs from 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. You can learn more about it here.
