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Psychological Intervention

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Pruritus

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Abstract

Because there is a psychological part in pruritus and because pruritus induces psychological consequences, psychological interventions may be helpful for the patient. A primary necessity is to improve the skin condition, allowing patients to feel better. Although frequently not confirmed by clinical studies, the use of psychotherapies may also be very valuable to improve psychological status and sometimes itch: cognitive and behavioural therapies, psychoanalysis and derived therapies, support psychotherapy, hypnosis and others. Finally, there is a need for a therapeutic alliance and therapeutic education may be also helpful for patients suffering for itch.

“Covered head to toe, I slipped on thick cotton pyjamas and decided to go back to bed for the day. Overwhelmed by such a sudden burst of this unexpected crisis, I felt an implacable need to sleep. And, knowing the treachery of my sickness, I bandaged my hands to make them two stumps useless for satisfying it”… “The telephone rang around noon. Work was worried… I hung up without a word, already knowing that I would not go back before having reached the end of my pitiful difference.” Lorette Nobécourt, La démangeaison [Itching], Editions J’ai lu, Paris, 1999

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Neurosciences of Brest, and Department of Dermatology, University Hospital, and University of Brest, 2 avenue Foch, 29200, Brest, France

    Laurent Misery MD, PhD

  2. Department of Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, University of Münster, Domagkstr. 22, 48129, Munster, Germany

    Gudrun Schneider MD

Authors
  1. Laurent Misery MD, PhD
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  2. Gudrun Schneider MD
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Correspondence to Laurent Misery MD, PhD .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Dermatology, University of Brest, Brest, France

    Laurent Misery

  2. Center of Chronic Pruritus, University Hospital Münster, Münster, Nordrhein-Westfalen, Germany

    Sonja Ständer

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© 2016 Springer-Verlag London

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Misery, L., Schneider, G. (2016). Psychological Intervention. In: Misery, L., Ständer, S. (eds) Pruritus. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33142-3_54

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-33142-3_54

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-319-33140-9

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-33142-3

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