Poppy's Story

My allergy journey began in infancy when my family discovered I was allergic to dairy, and that it brought me out in an eczema rash. Since then, the severity of my dairy allergy has grown into anaphylaxis. The list of my allergies has also steadily grown over time to the number of 16 food allergies and some environmental allergies.

Additionally, I have to take multiple medications for atopic asthma and eczema, which worsen with the seasonal changes and the summer months. My asthma is manageable with an inhaler, but my eczema has worsened to a point where I have been on an immunosuppressant drug for three years, which takes form in a weekly injection.

In my daily life, I have to challenge the urge to spend my time limiting my food intake, so I can avoid the anxiety of reacting, this certainly is not a healthy coping mechanism. I find managing the responsibility of having allergies as a teenager very difficult. Being a teen is already a struggle, as we are just trying to figure out who we are and get through the bumpy journey of adolescence. Being presented with the task of handling your own safety around your friends and peers is extremely tough and can feel embarrassing, as a lot of the time I don’t want to make a big deal of my condition or draw attention to it.

I show strong symptoms of complex PTSD and severe anxiety. The cause seems to be related to my allergies and trauma from reactions in the past.

In addition to this, a lot of teenagers do not understand the severity of allergies when they haven’t experienced being threatened in everyday life, so they will make jokes about allergic reactions, and that results in me feeling uncomfortable and very unsafe around my friends. I know they are just trying to make light of the situation, they don’t understand that it is frightening for me. If you are close to somebody who suffers from allergies, please do not make a joke about their condition. I cannot tell you how much it has affected me negatively, hearing my peers joke about how ‘throwing me in a bucket of cheese would be the perfect murder.’

My allergies have greatly affected my school attendance throughout my life, due to continuous exhaustion of reactions and my eczema. Not to mention that I was discovering a lot of new foods that made me react, so I was having to alter my life around those as well. Having allergies requires a lot of doctors and hospital appointments, so I spent time out of school attending those. I am an avid learner and have always loved school, so having to miss so much so often affects my mental health terribly.

To all young people with allergies, please know that you are not alone.

I attend psychotherapy appointments weekly due to my mental health struggles, and I show strong symptoms of complex PTSD and severe anxiety. The cause seems to be related to my allergies and trauma from reactions in the past. I developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in November of 2019 following a couple of viral infections, but it is a great possibility that the exhaustion of my allergies and eczema played a hand in that as well.

To all young people with allergies, please know that you are not alone. I understand the fear and anxiety that comes with your condition, and unease is perfectly normal. It is okay and realistic to feel afraid of something that threatens you in everyday life. A lot of people are unaware of the severity of food allergies as it is not taught in schools and only a handful of teachers will have epi-pen training. I know that you feel isolated and like nobody could even begin to comprehend what you are going through, but you are not alone! I have recently found the Allergy UK community, and it has reassured and helped me so much to discover others like me.