When you are very itchy it makes you cranky , anxious and scared. You don’t know how long you’ll have the rash. Sleep is very poor often and there is a sense of total exhaustion the next day. If you have a job or you are watching kids life can seem almost impossible. Should you take a pill for depression relief?

As a therapist, I think you need to judge your situation. First try anti-itch creams as well as an antihistamine so you can get a decent night’s sleep. Anti-itch creams can include Sarna, cortisone creams, aquaphor (if it’s eczema) , aveeno products and other creams that are anti-inflammatory. See if that helps.

Psychologically you need to be able to talk yourself down so that you don’t aggravate the stress which in turn can aggravate the itching as well as the rash. Work on breathing exercises each day to gain a calm center. You may not feel up for an exercise class but just take 10 minutes to at least do a little meditation and tell yourself that this is temporary and that you won’t be feeling this way forever. Think about what you are grateful for as well and remind yourself this isn’t life threatening.

Take oatmeal baths and see what you can do to minimize the itching. Try to stop the itch-scratch cycle which can become endless. If you are feeling totally overwhelmed then find out about taking a mild antidepressant for relief. This can change your perspective and make things seem lighter and less dramatic. If you have deadlines from work and your kids are fighting, this can be helpful. Ultimately, it is good to find a way to gain perspective on without medication but sometimes life gives us tough challenges at the same time and we need something to take the edge off our difficulties. Be sure to find out if there are side effects to the medications so you can be prepared and not get anxious if the occur.  The rash and itching will come to an end but sometimes it takes a while to get the right diagnosis and the right meds to clear thigs up.