{"id":6316,"date":"2022-02-25T15:18:48","date_gmt":"2022-02-25T15:18:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/?p=6316"},"modified":"2025-08-14T14:22:40","modified_gmt":"2025-08-14T14:22:40","slug":"my-life-during-topical-steroid-withdrawal-a-documentary","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/2022\/02\/25\/my-life-during-topical-steroid-withdrawal-a-documentary\/","title":{"rendered":"My Life During Topical Steroid Withdrawal &#8211; A Documentary"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_three_fourth-15d750bd1b332b34c6e70b077ebbccdf\">\n.flex_column.av-av_three_fourth-15d750bd1b332b34c6e70b077ebbccdf{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-av_three_fourth-15d750bd1b332b34c6e70b077ebbccdf av_three_fourth  avia-builder-el-0  el_before_av_one_fourth  avia-builder-el-first  first flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><p>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_heading-0504da0b62dd4e98cbc0ef0abfeeba9c\">\n#top .av-special-heading.av-av_heading-0504da0b62dd4e98cbc0ef0abfeeba9c{\npadding-bottom:10px;\n}\nbody .av-special-heading.av-av_heading-0504da0b62dd4e98cbc0ef0abfeeba9c .av-special-heading-tag .heading-char{\nfont-size:25px;\n}\n.av-special-heading.av-av_heading-0504da0b62dd4e98cbc0ef0abfeeba9c .av-subheading{\nfont-size:15px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='av-special-heading av-av_heading-0504da0b62dd4e98cbc0ef0abfeeba9c av-special-heading-h3  avia-builder-el-1  el_before_av_hr  avia-builder-el-first '><h3 class='av-special-heading-tag'  itemprop=\"headline\"  >My Life During Topical Steroid Withdrawal &#8211; A Documentary<\/h3><div class=\"special-heading-border\"><div class=\"special-heading-inner-border\"><\/div><\/div><\/div><br \/>\n\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_hr-19218f1ba897acae6930be1f9798fa1a\">\n#top .hr.hr-invisible.av-av_hr-19218f1ba897acae6930be1f9798fa1a{\nheight:14px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='hr av-av_hr-19218f1ba897acae6930be1f9798fa1a hr-invisible  avia-builder-el-2  el_after_av_heading  el_before_av_textblock '><span class='hr-inner '><span class=\"hr-inner-style\"><\/span><\/span><\/div><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-av_textblock-2de302bf1aa3cf4c9157dbe6f50ac7eb '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Cecillia\u2019s story is only one story out of potentially hundreds of thousands or more throughout the world that are going through Topical Steroid Withdrawal. The more stories that are shared, the stronger the community will become. It\u2019s a snowball effect and this is our effort to contribute to that movement.\u201d -Carlos Torres, Director<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-av_textblock-2de302bf1aa3cf4c9157dbe6f50ac7eb '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Hv5Lmy-ItY0\" width=\"1110\" height=\"624\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-av_textblock-2de302bf1aa3cf4c9157dbe6f50ac7eb '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cThis could have been prevented. Something that I thought was meant to improve the quality of my life was just a band-aid slowly poisoning me and I had no idea.\u201d -Cecillia French<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">&#8220;Since a child, Cecillia French, a fianc\u00e9e and mother of one, has been prescribed various types of topical steroids in efforts to treat her mild eczema. At the age of 30, she realized that her skin flares happened more frequently and overtime became more resistant to the steroids prescribed. Nevertheless, she continued to take steroids as they have been the only source of treatment offered by her medical physicians.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">She continued to go through the motions of \u201cmaintaining\u201d her skin until she came across medical studies online pointing out that the very steroids used to alleviate her supposed worsening eczema may be causing a reaction known as Topical Steroid Withdrawal Syndrome. The concept is simple. Over periods of time, the body develops tolerance to topical steroids. As a result, the body requires more application of the steroid than previously needed to achieve the desired results. Cecillia realized she\u2019s been fueling the fire with gasoline rather than extinguishing it. On February 15th, 2021, she stopped the use of steroids on her now dependent body.<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">Never did she think the dependency of steroids would cause her body to deteriorate without it. Stopping steroids completely is a controversial recovery approach in the medical field, but a successful approach for almost everyone that has followed this path. Her story is a testimony of her courage, patience, and confidence as she fights the hardest fight of her life in efforts to reach the finish line. The question is, where is the finish line?&#8221; -CutFocus Production Company<\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\">\u201cThis film was produced to spark conversation and represent those out there who may endure this condition in silence. Creating a movement in raising awareness requires a community. Most importantly, it requires those within the community to feel confident to share their story. Cecillia\u2019s story is only one story out of potentially hundreds of thousands or more throughout the world that are going through Topical Steroid Withdrawal. The more stories that are shared, the stronger the community will become. It\u2019s a snowball effect and this is our effort to contribute to that movement.\u201d\u00a0-Carlos Torres, Director<\/p>\n<div>Cecillia French had the opportunity of having her TSW story turned into a short film by two-time Emmy award winning video production company @CutFocus. In an effort to create awareness of this preventable disease, they started a campaign in hopes that Cecillia\u2019s insights, along with a series of posters, will inspire others to share their TSW realities through the hashtag <a role=\"link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hashtag\/mytswstory?__eep__=6&amp;__cft__&#091;0&#093;=AZVe0SGVDZ7VyD_YPoJW543no_6gNQBrCTQOSqvkrNrMEyXB-VXgjX9DCLrNbOZXR7AHBUlITTxi55zEENfxV3k825HG5FiJyqPkVu08sZ5mVX0IE35s5JoB8mC9IV1RL-JUIJ8klJXqw3wutALBSpRM&amp;__tn__=*NK-R\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/hashtag\/mytswstory?__eep__%3D6%26__cft__%5B0%5D%3DAZVe0SGVDZ7VyD_YPoJW543no_6gNQBrCTQOSqvkrNrMEyXB-VXgjX9DCLrNbOZXR7AHBUlITTxi55zEENfxV3k825HG5FiJyqPkVu08sZ5mVX0IE35s5JoB8mC9IV1RL-JUIJ8klJXqw3wutALBSpRM%26__tn__%3D*NK-R&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1645886824740000&amp;usg=AOvVaw22RwgZoMQBHjC6HayvJJqO\">#MyTSWStory<\/a> Please follow @misscecifrench and the @CutFocus [Production Company] on Instagram to learn more.<span style=\"font-family: arial, sans-serif;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<section  class='av_textblock_section av-av_textblock-2de302bf1aa3cf4c9157dbe6f50ac7eb '   itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/BlogPosting\" itemprop=\"blogPost\" ><div class='avia_textblock'  itemprop=\"text\" ><p>Learn more about &#8220;My Life During Topical Steroid Withdrawal,&#8221; including behind the scenes here:<\/p>\n<\/div><\/section><br \/>\n<div  class='avia-button-wrap av-av_button-3d76d7bd2ef00ba391990b17f643fee7-wrap avia-button-left  avia-builder-el-7  el_after_av_textblock  avia-builder-el-last '><a href='https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/My-Life-During-Topical-Steroid-Withdrawal.pdf'  class='avia-button av-av_button-3d76d7bd2ef00ba391990b17f643fee7 avia-icon_select-yes-left-icon avia-size-large avia-position-left avia-color-theme-color'  target=\"_blank\"  rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" ><span class='avia_button_icon avia_button_icon_left' aria-hidden='true' data-av_icon='\ue803' data-av_iconfont='entypo-fontello'><\/span><span class='avia_iconbox_title' >Click here<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/p><\/div>\n<style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_one_fourth-c8fc129dc35fd1ae2a1e410224d39ea8\">\n.flex_column.av-av_one_fourth-c8fc129dc35fd1ae2a1e410224d39ea8{\nborder-radius:0px 0px 0px 0px;\npadding:0px 0px 0px 0px;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='flex_column av-av_one_fourth-c8fc129dc35fd1ae2a1e410224d39ea8 av_one_fourth  avia-builder-el-8  el_after_av_three_fourth  avia-builder-el-last  flex_column_div av-zero-column-padding  '     ><style type=\"text\/css\" data-created_by=\"avia_inline_auto\" id=\"style-css-av-av_image-d2b9b9dd1c97ef3a9496fb4e690dec11\">\n.avia-image-container.av-av_image-d2b9b9dd1c97ef3a9496fb4e690dec11 img.avia_image{\nbox-shadow:none;\n}\n.avia-image-container.av-av_image-d2b9b9dd1c97ef3a9496fb4e690dec11 .av-image-caption-overlay-center{\ncolor:#ffffff;\n}\n<\/style>\n<div  class='avia-image-container av-av_image-d2b9b9dd1c97ef3a9496fb4e690dec11 av-styling- avia-align-center  avia-builder-el-9  avia-builder-el-no-sibling '   itemprop=\"image\" itemscope=\"itemscope\" itemtype=\"https:\/\/schema.org\/ImageObject\" ><div class=\"avia-image-container-inner\"><div class=\"avia-image-overlay-wrap\"><img decoding=\"async\" class='wp-image-6318 avia-img-lazy-loading-not-6318 avia_image ' src=\"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-8.30.47-AM.png\" alt='' title=''  height=\"642\" width=\"913\"  itemprop=\"thumbnailUrl\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-8.30.47-AM.png 913w, https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-8.30.47-AM-300x211.png 300w, https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-8.30.47-AM-768x540.png 768w, https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-8.30.47-AM-705x496.png 705w, https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/Screen-Shot-2022-02-25-at-8.30.47-AM-450x316.png 450w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 913px) 100vw, 913px\" \/><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>\u201cThis film was produced to spark conversation and represent those out there who may endure this condition in silence.\u201d -Carlos Torres, Director<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6319,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6316","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-blog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6316","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6316"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6316\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6618,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6316\/revisions\/6618"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6316"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6316"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.itsan.org\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6316"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}