Brothers and sisters...

Not all of us are going to grow up to be rich...
Not all of us are going to grow up being famous...
Not all of us are going to find love...

So,

Not all of us are going to end up having perfect skin...

Just do what you can to improve your skin and go enjoy your life... Life is so short and anything can happen, do you really want to spend the majority of your days in life worrying about something so insignificant? Think about it, don't just read this. Just take five or so minutes and actually think about it.

Try to find a hobby that you absolutely enjoy doing to take your mind off if it is bothering you so much.. Focus on the positives in your life and don't worry too much about the negatives.

The problem is, we always seem to shove the positives out of the way and dwell in self-pity of our negatives and it gets us no where... It's good to vent, but sometimes it becomes a constant habit and we start to use it as an excuse for everything...

If you still feel upset or this got you upset, then go all out.... Get a job, save up money to go for accutane or for scar removal / plastic surgery or anything... You can do whatever you set your mind to.

Wish the best to all of you.

im 17 and i started breaking out about half a year ago, always bagged my brothers acne as a joke, KARMA!!! INTENSELY, it started with a few pimples then gradually became hormonal acne, it's not that bad, doctor said its only a 3/10, started using duac for about 3 month's, flattened the acne but it's still very visible, now im on antibiotic while using topicals, i know i have only started treatments to control it but i feel like if this dosen't work, i want to go on accutane, also my brother's had acne for about 2 years now so i feel like im fighting genetics aswell, my mum dosen't want me to spend all this money on treatments and says i should just wait and grow out of it, im in the prime of my life, a teenager and i wanna be able to go out have fun, take photos and make some goddamn memories but i feel it's so hard when im thinking about acne 24/7, i'm gonna stop the jibba jabba now, thanks for those who have read this, please let me know how i should deal with this ?

I've had moderate acne since I was 14 (I'm now almost 18). After finding these message boards and making some changes to my diet, I was about 75% clear (which was enough for me) for a while, but I've noticed more and more breakouts over the past 8 months. After being so close to clear for a while, when it came back I found it even more embarrassing than before. This has resulted in me not going out and being inside for these past 8 months. Friends don't contact me much anymore and I've become quite pale. Soon it will be my 18th birthday and I have no one to invite. I'd rather not be seen with such inflamed/sore/obvious acne so I won't be out.

I'm not sure what I'm wanting from this thread but I just don't know what to do next. I've taken a lot out of my diet because I've heard it's bad, so now I've also lost weight (a minus, I was almost underweight in the first place.) After all this as you can imagine, my self-image/esteem/confidence has diminished and my social/non-existent-love life has suffered. I'm not sure what's happened to my skin and why it's been so intense lately. I haven't changed much in my diet. To add to all that I've ended up staying up late (6.00am) and waking up well into the afternoon. Skipping breakfast and sometimes lunch. I can't get out of it.

Overall this is just holding me back and I'm so tired of thinking about this for so so long and it effecting me how it has.

Hey all. I rarely visit this thread anymore, but the past couple days I have somehow found myself here. I understand that acne can be a depressing thing to have, and to deal with. But I was still somewhat surprised to find members making threads about how wretched their life is because of acne.

I know that some days can be harder than others, but you really only have the present and the future. Acne, while it does suck, should not prevent you from doing whatever it is you want to do. Believe it or not, most people are self-centered, cognitively speaking. Most of an individual's thoughts are centered on their own life and problems. People rarely notice yours. And okay, you may have moderate acne, but really, the only people worth having in your life are those who see past physical appearances. I know it's hard, but it's worth a shot...pretend you don't notice people making remarks about your appearance (if they do). If you are worried about such occurence, don't be. I have never had someone say anything about my face in a derogatory manner.

There are really amazing people in the world...I just thought I might share that. And this song, which always get's me to thinking about life. =)



Yesterday is a wrinkle on your forehead
Yesterday is a promise that you’ve broken
Don’t close your eyes, don’t close your eyes
This is your life and today is all you’ve got now
Yeah, and today is all you’ll ever have
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

Yesterday is a kid in the corner
Yesterday is dead and over

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed that it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose

Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes
Don’t close your eyes

This is your life are you who you want to be
This is your life are you who you want to be

This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, are you who you want to be
This is your life, is it everything you dreamed it would be
When the world was younger and you had everything to lose


Don't let acne hold you back. The world is too wonderful to hide away forever.

I'm currently unemployed and have started to wonder if my difficulty in finding a job isn't simply due to the economy, but perhaps also due to my acne. Statistics (apparently) show that people suffering with acne are less likely to be hired by an employer.

Has anyone heard of these stats? To what extent/ capacity do you think they are true?

So I used to go out with my friends all the time, but once I started to develop acne my self esteem was shattered and I sort of hid at home, avoiding everyone. My lifestyle changed, and I become obsessed with heath and my diet for acne. My friends always stay out all night, drink, smoke, ect.. But I honestly hate that lifestyle, and it screws up my routine for healing my acne. So anyways I sort of secluded myself from everyone and did my own thing. However now my skin is doing better and my friends are REALLY trying to get me to come party. I always make up excuses, in fact I start to have panic attacks when thinking about going out I don't know why, I just always like to stay at home with family, go on the computer, study ( boring stuff, but it makes me happy). Anyways I guess what i'm trying to say is should I be worried about how anti social I am? I just feel like no one relates to me, or has the same interests, so I sort of stick to myself. My friends are nagging me soo much to come out, and i'm running out of excuses.. I can only fake sick for so long haha. Whenever I meet new people and they ask what I do for fun, they think its extremely strange i'm not into drinking or partying. Is there something wrong with me?

So a couple years ago i had a CRAZY breakout after coming back from an overseas trip. Since then it seems like my pimples really became ACNE. I always had zits throughout highschool, but it somehow never seemed to phase me. I got a hold of it through various meds from the derm and some good skincare products and the actual quality of my skin now, even with some minor scarring, is fair.

However, it seems that recently my chin is mainly breaking out. It makes me so depressed and sad. sometimes i just wanna cry...i used to cry about my skin, but now it seems useless. It's annoying because it's nothing new...these pimples on my chin...cystic ones. I should just expect that they will come, but even when they do i get so angry. I curse at it and just wanna slap my face (lol). The thing that makes me most insecure about it is that its such a central area on the face and not easy to hide with hair on the side of my face like i used to. It's so hard to gather up the courage and self confidence to go out and do normal things. On one of the last nice days of fall, when all i wanna do is dress up nicely and go out and enjoy the city, i end up staying inside. I know it's entirely my choice, but it's hard to think rationally when you see this nasty disease on your face. I feel so disgusting.

I wanna go out and meet people, and even when i have, i go into hibernation when i get a breakout. Lately especially, my chin is NOT giving me a break, one after the other. and when i think they've all subsided, i feel and see the hint of a new one coming. Most of them don't puss...even if they did they aren't small ones. Most of them are on the big side and somewhat cystic...just inflamed, raised, and red and then subsiding into a light purplish reddish scar. ALL OVER MY F*CKING CHIN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! it's so gross. i want my self confidence back. I wanna wear all the nice clothes i've bought but dont have the courage to wear because i feel like my acne spoils it. i know thats SO stupid, but i can't help it. it takes over every aspect of my life! At work its so hard to look people in the eye. I feel so scared that i'm gonna catch them looking at my acne, so usually i look slightly away or try to pretend to be busy and look another way. I know i can change this and it's not my acne that's making decisions for me, but it's so hard. I shudder at the thought that this will go into my 40s and so on. I hate feeling so weak. I HATE IT.

I wish it would jsut go away. I've prayed so many times and so desperately...i just want it gone. I wanna have a happy and carefree life while i'm still young!!!!!!!

I feel so hopeless and depressed...

It's good to know that even though I've been clear for about 2 1/2 years (thanks to accutane) that I am now having to deal with multiple other disorders, the main one being Social Anxiety Disorder and of course 24/7 self-consciousness. I don't mean to make you guy's feel bad because getting clear really is the best thing to ever happen to me, but realistically it was just the start of my journey. I'm currently scheduled for an appointment to get on some medication for Social Anxiety Disorder because it is controlling my life. And every time I try to find the source of why exactly I have it it all leads back to my severe acne in my middle teens.

Everyone will react differently, some people may never be clear and some will. Some will be left with scars of their past battles with acne, such as me. I just want everyone to remember that this is a journey. It's not going to happen overnight, it's a long term process, sort of like a goal and as long as you stick with it you will accomplish it.

I want to personally thank acne.org because it got me threw a lot in the deepest depression of my life. I honestly wish everyone on these boards the best of luck and I wish you all to be clear. Thanks for reading.

I absolutely hate being offered candy or some other off-limits food while eating in public. Everyone gets all up in your face and are like, "Why aren't you eating candy? What's wrong with you? Are you some kind of health freak? Lighten up!" Well I'm sorry all my candy eating friends with perfectly clear skin but if I eat your Snickers bar my face is going to break out like no tomorrow. The worst is when they keep asking you to explain your actions and telling them you want to lose weight is not a valid option because I don't need to lose weight. I try to pull out the "I just want to be healthy" excuse but ultimately everyone knows its because of my face and it makes it so awkward when they are always questioning the reasoning behind what I eat.

I also really dislike it when they take a look at your face and think that you're not healthy. I'm hoping to become a Nutritionist someday when I go to college but to most people that's like an obese person saying they want to be a Nutritionist. I really almost want to give up that career path because I don't have the look of health that should go along with the job.

Maybe I should just hide away in my house and never go out to eat in public again. Gah sorry for the angry rant but I'm just really down right now. I spend all day just thinking about how I can cure my acne and it just permeates every aspect of my life. Acne is a real downer.

Since getting acne, I have come a long way in my maturity and understanding of my body. Both have a very long way to go, however I think some people may find some use in what I have found.

When I first started getting acne, I was in 5th grade and would get maybe one pimple every few months.

Then just did not get acne until I was about 17. I started getting 2 or 3 at a time. Once again, I did not really care because I just thought it was normal. My parents felt bad and my mom started suggesting things I could to "control" my acne. Naturally, "mom is right," I did it. I started using Stridex Pads. Of course, I did not use the sensitive ones, I wanted MAXIMUM! You know, get rid of that acne fast and hardcore! These pads seemed to help a little bit, if anything they made my skin feel chilly when I put it on, so it must be doing something. Over time though, they had no effect on my acne, and it just gradually got worse. Then my mother, bless her heart, decided to suggest a dermatologist. The dermatologist suggested using facial washers before showering. So of course the doctor is right so I did just that. My skin felt cleaner, yet the acne still kept coming, seemingly worse too.

Anyone feel similar yet?

So next the dermatologist suggested Benzaclin, which is benzoyl peroxide basically. I started using this and it only made a small dent in my acne at first, but almost not noticeable. So now I was getting frustrated! I wanted some serious stuff.

My thinking was the harder my acne fought, the harder I should fight back.

So then my dermatologist prescribes me Tazorak! The bottle of Tazorak suggested a "pea" sized amount be applied to the whole face. How you spread a pea sized amount of ointment all over the face without getting a whole lot more in one area than the other, I do not know. Anyways, my face broke out with not just acne, but a horrible facial rash mostly on my chin. I did not go to school for the next few days. It was disgusting.

So now I go to the doctor and she suggests Accutane. I research it and supposedly it is just this "miracle cure" for acne. However, I am an anti pill-for-problem person, so I just was not sure about it and ended up turning it down.

I gave up my fight on acne. I threw in the towel and just said whatever.

After I just stopped doing everything, my acne disappeared in three days. I was completely acne free for about 11 months (usually one pimple a week, but I consider this a success for an 18 year old)

My mother noticed my success and commented on it and asked what I was doing. I told her I had stopped the Tazorak and she deduced it had aggravated my skin too much. Then she warned me that I had better start doing at least SOMETHING to my skin so I did not get acne again.

So I started washing my face 3 times a day with soap. I started getting more pimples, so then I figured I should start semi-treating them with Stridex again. Needless to say, I traveled a similar path again... No Tazorak again or anything, but still treating my skin.

I have seen a lot of people around here advocating the idea of "doing nothing." The only person I can name is Adam08, so you could start by looking him up and seeing the threads he is active in.

I think many people could get relief by giving their skin a break from the beating they give it.
I also think many people could get relief by giving themselves a break from beating up themselves over acne. The most useful tool I have found in the battle against acne is to just quit worrying about it.

All you people applying your multiple solutions daily looking at your dried out, red, inflamed skin multiple times a day are spending so much time in front of the mirror criticizing yourself and your skin.

Another realization I came to is that confidence is the final factor in how men and women will treat you. In the beginning of my junior year, before I even had acne, I started to figure this out. Then when I got acne, I let myself forget about that, and became very self conscious. It wasn't until I cleared up for my first time that my confidence shot up again. Then I realized that people treated me no different when I had acne or when I didn't. They treated me different because I was treating them differently when I was worried about my face. I was acting shy and sort of scared when I had bad acne, so they would treat me like a shy, scared, person. This past time when I had a horrible acne outbreak, I tried to act as confident as I could. I had no close friends because I just started college, so all the people I was talking to was usually for the first time. I found that acting confident was all I needed for friends or respect.

In Karma89's signature, he encourages anyone to show him a person who has actually cured their acne with the use of topical medication. I further implore anyone here to show me, and him, someone who has actually had permanent success with topicals.

I agree with Adam's stand point in just thinking that letting your acid mantle come back will help your skin. However, I would also like to go deeper into this method and why it may work. You may think you are stress free, yet every time you go outside, look at yourself in the mirror, talk to someone new, talk to a friend, you are constantly thinking about your acne. It at least enters your head some of the time.

As soon as you quit checking out your facial status every time you pass a reflective object, you forget how good or bad your face is. You lose any reason to worry. You lose acne.
Even if you do not lose your acne, you still feel better. It does not matter how bad your acne is, your goal is to ultimately feel good about yourself. Your goal is to be happy. You can achieve this whether or not you actually beat acne.

Achieving this can also help you beat acne.

-SnoW

Ahhh, I am back on this wonderful site yet again. Anywho, I went out with a friend from high school who happened to be visiting the city I now live in. So everything is going well and in the back of my mind the whole time I am thinking, "Is she noticing my scars?" Well, at the end of the night she sits down with me on an outside patio and proceeds to tell me that she can see scarring on my face and that I should probably get plastic surgery to correct it. Ugh. And then she tells me that when I went home last year for Thanksgiving a lot of my high school girlfriends (whom are no longer my friends) were all talking about my face behind my back. Last year when I went home I was experiencing the worst break out of my life, but I still went out with those losers anyway. They were saying that it was such a shame what has happened to my face. My face doesn't bother me as much as it did when I first noticed the scarring. I have come to accept myself for who I am. Trust me, it was a hard process and I still struggle with it from time to time. Last night when she said that I wanted to laugh in her face and say that she was a shallow person, but instead I went home and cried to my boyfriend. I know I have scarring on my face and that I still don't have perfect skin but I will NEVER be the person with flawless skin no matter what medicine I am on. Plus, acne scars are really hard to correct and procedures are pricey. Anyways, the point I wanted to make on here (because I know how acne KILLS your confidence and self esteem) is we have to keep on living and try not to worry about the small things. Yes, it is true that some people look at your face and get disgusted but most people, the majority of people, aren't shallow and don't even notice it. I know that when I see someone with scars and/or acne it doesn't phase me in the least. Honestly, people with acne are some of the strongest people out there. We face the world when all we want to do is hide, we struggle EVERYDAY with a negative self image but we still manage to live. No matter what we are all beautiful if you truly believe that you are. WE ARE BEAUTIFUL

Well guys,

I am back on this website after many years. I remember reading that few ever share success stories because they forget about this website and acne etc. So here I am.

I've been on accutane 3 times since I first registered on this site some 5 years ago. My life is far better now that I am for the most part, clear.

My skin has never returned to the horrible depressing state it was before my first round of accutane. Some acne did return, so I went on the med several more times (the last time it was prescribed to me by my military doctor). Today I still do get some blackheads etc and the odd pimples but it is not nearly as bad. Considering what I used to have, I could care less that I have the odd one...as long as it never gets so bad again.

Since going on accutane, I have had long term relationships and my confidence has skyrocketed. I was able to finish high school with clear skin, and I look back on accutane as the pivotol moment in my life where I was able to finally enjoy what had evaded me since I was 12.

I still use retin a, and I am not out of the woods entirely. Just tonight I finally decided that I would try one last time to get rid of a massive cyst like growth on my cheek. It has been on my face since May 07, and I was told by doctors that there was no fluid left inside (I popped it when it originally happened, and assumed this was just a raised scar). Tonight I found out that I was wrong...there still is a bunch of puss in it, and I am working to get rid of it. Hopefully when I wake up, it will be on the mend completely. However, even if it is still there...all the hate I have for it won't overshadow the fact that I am still able to live life with it and am not going to let it stop me completely (although it would be better asking girls out without a nickel sized growth, but hey then you can see who likes you for the person you are...)

Anyways sorry for the rant. In summary, Here I am 5 years later...and I am far better than I was. I am so thankful for that. I will say that if nothing else, acne taught me to perservere and made me realize that if I could be confident with it, that I could do almost anything. For all of you facing another week of school with poor skin, I do feel for you. Just try and stay positive.

I hope that helps someone out there.

Take care and thanks for listening,

SaveMe

So I've been getting some pretty bad break outs lately and so I've gone back to using benzoyl peroxide and I don't like using it but I don't have a choice. I've been very careful not to bleach anything and so far I managed to avoid any disasters. However today I came home and washed my clothes and went upstairs to apply BP and afterwards the clothes were done and so I took them out of the washing machine and they were wet and somehow the BP from before had transferred to the clothes and my shirt and top now have bleach marks on them.


Obviously I'm pissed off at the moment because I'm at university and don't have money for clothes and that was one of my favourite tops which is now unwearable. This could have been prevented if I didn't have acne to begin with.

Great site, some great people but what i always felt was the forum lacked a little because not everyone participates. Like now there is 1000+ people online but most threads get 1-2 replies, hundreds of views.

Start joining in, replying and giving/asking for help and share your experiences.

Do you ever feel like just totally giving up?

You just don't want to give a fuck about acne and scars anymore and just sleep for a long time and eat whatever the fuck you want?

Just walk around and think "I don't give a fucking shit anymore -- whatever?"

I used to hate going anywhere near fast food restaurants when I had mild-moderate acne...even though I'm almost clear at the moment, I still don't wanna touch them with a barge pole.. I picture myself going in there and then breaking out instantly.

Anyone else like this?

I've had minor acne since I was 16, but it was never severe enough to cause me to feel anti-social, depressed or anxious. Now, I know EXACTLY how that feels.

I didn't get severe acne until after coming off of Yaz birth control (July 2009). About a week after I stopped taking it, my face was covered (forehead, cheeks, chin, upper lip) with papules and postules. I was horrified.

At first, I told myself I wasn't going to let it get to me. My hormones just needed time to balance back, I just had to "stick it out". I thought that the only way I would draw attention to my acne problem is if I acted like it bothered me.

I tried to think of how much worse my situation could be...like having cancer and losing my hair, or being paralyzed from the waist down, unable to walk. Acne doesn't cause any physical limitations, so it shouldn't hinder me from doing anything that I normally do...unless I let it get to my head.

At the time, I was only working part-time because it was still summer. But once September hit, I was back teaching at an elementary school Monday through Friday. Everyday from September till the end of October kids asked me,



I was humiliated. Up to this point, I had been trying my best to NOT think and obsess about my acne, but now I realized, EVERYONE notices that I have acne, most adults know better not to say anything, but kids...they just call it like they see it.

I remember sobbing (not just tears, actual loud cries of desperation) a few times in my car on the way home from work. When I had to eat outside of the house, I would go through drive thrus to order food so no one would have to see me. I didn't go to my girlfriend's engagement party, another friend's wedding, a baby shower, and I stopped going to my Bible study group. My fiance called me "hermit" and his "little vampire" during this time. He and my family didn't force me to go anywhere because they saw how deeply this was affecting me. This was without a doubt, a dark time in my life.

No one can truly understand the social impact of acne unless they've experienced it themselves. It's a rough road to be on. When I think back to high school, a time where my acne was very minor, easily covered by makeup, I remember those that had severe acne. There were only a couple that I knew of. One guy was very introverted, kept to himself, didn't get involved in any sports/activities. I can't help but wonder if having acne is what caused him to be this way. On the other hand, there was my boyfriend who was on the football, wrestling team and in band. He was very popular, and won Homecoming King senior year. He had severe acne all over his face, neck and back since he was in the 7th grade, but it never stopped him from being his normal fun, outgoing self. And if it did, I wasn't aware of it.

So the way I see it, YOU are ultimately in control of how you let acne affect your life. For some, they can carry on just fine (or at least act like it), others need to "lay low". I chose to "lay low" when my acne was at it's worst. I chose to be gentle and not force myself to engage in social situations that were unnecessary. There were three places I went to during this time: work, yoga, church. Everywhere else was optional. If I felt up to going to the movies or the grocery store I would, if not, oh well.

Interestingly enough, the three places I did go to helped me tremendously get through this dark time. I love teaching, and being around other teachers and students brought me a lot of joy. Yoga allowed me to calm my mind, and relax my body without feeling judged by others. Going to church, and reading the Bible daily filled me spiritually.

My advice to anyone with acne when it comes to social situations is to be gentle with yourself. Only YOU know what you can and can't handle right now. Why force yourself?

It has been five weeks since I started using the Regimen. My acne is no longer severe. Needless to say I am so grateful and pleased with how things are going so far. Please read my other blog posts under Girls/Women with Acne to learn more.

so it all starts in 6th grade.. my first breakout
at the time i had no idea what to do and as time went by, things only got worse. i live in an area where looks seem to mean a lot.. and i was constantly made fun of for my acne in an environment where it seemed nobody else was suffering with the same problem.
i tried different creams and what not, but nothing seemed to work. it only got worse..
by 7th grade i was getting really depressed and i basically walked around with a face full of hair.. i guess i figured if no one could see anything, then it wouldnt be as bad. but that of course wasnt the case. i was still constantly made fun of and my self-confidence was at its lowest. a girlfriend of any kind was completely out of the question.
i get into 8th grade and things havent changed. hair is still long, and nothing about my life seems fair. why do i have to be so ugly and depressed all the time while everyone else is out making girlfriends and having fun?..
at the end of 8th grade i got into some medicine from my doctor that actually seemed to work. my acne wasnt as bad, but the scarring was horrid. before 9th grade started i finally decided to cut my hair and look somewhat normal. but when the school year started, my hopes of a better environment were crushed. at this point i more or less ignored the comments i got about how terrible my face looked and just tried to go on with life. but the acne never fully went away, and i still had frequent breakouts. and to add to all the frustration, the acne spread to my back, chest and arms..
10th grade came around and i decided i needed a change. life's just too short to live alone in misery.. i went on accutane.
it made my face look even worse for a good 3 months, but finally.. i was acne free.
however.. the scars left from the constant battles were horrid.. the red marks and acne might be gone, but i was left with a terrible reminder of past days. and the kids at school never ceased to make fun.
so my acne is finally gone.. but nothing has changed. my self-confidence is still at an all-time low, and im constantly depressed and wanting to be anyone but myself..
11th grade comes around.. and im tired of it.. i cant stand school anymore. just being around people and seeing the looks on their faces when they see me is just too much.. so i dropped out.
life goes on. lonely and miserable. and worst of all.. the acne comes back.

its been 2 years since then. the terrible scars remain, and i still breakout from time to time. i have a few good friends but they have girlfriends now so im more or less out of the picture. im just about constantly in regret of my life and i almost dont understand why i let myself live on everyday in this hell.. i know i probably wont ever find love.. hell, i havent even talked to a girl in years.. and i just dont know if i have the confidence left in me..
acne has ruined me. its ruined everything ive ever hoped for and made me a complete wreck. i know i probably sound like a whiny bitch writing all this, but i just feel like theres nothing left for me anymore.. im stuck living a lonely, boring life, with nothing but the scars and regret to remind me why im here..

sorry i wasted your time with all that.. just felt like i needed to get it out somehow..

):AomoriAkuma:(

I've read this quite a few times from scientific studies. Acne causes depression and suicide-related tendencies in both sexes, but they are greater in males than females (this mainly refers to the teenage years and early twenties). Why is this, do you think?

Some of my ideas:
Males can't wear makeup.
Female brains develop more quickly than male brains, therefore male brains are more likely to be irrational. (I think I read this somewhere, not sure).

whenever my skin fineally gets nice and reletivly clear (not including blackheads, which i have many of!) I am in constant fear of breakingout again or getting even the littlest pimple. i will check my skin like every hour and feel around to see if there is any senitive areas. is anyone else like this!??

I am worried that when in peobably a few years, it will be fully clear i will always be in this fear for the rest of my life. can anyone else relate?

Social Anxiety Disorder (social phobia) is the third largest mental health care problem in the world.

Latest government epidemiological data show social phobia affects over 7% of the population at any given time. The lifetime prevalence rate (i.e., the chances of developing social anxiety disorder at any time during the lifespan) stands at above 13%.

Definition: Social anxiety is the fear of social situations that involve interaction with other people. Put another way, social anxiety is the fear and anxiety of being judged and evaluated by other people. If a person usually becomes anxious in social situations, but seems fine when they are alone, then "social anxiety" may be the problem.

Perceptions: People with social anxiety are many times seen by others as being shy, quiet, backward, withdrawn, inhibited, unfriendly, nervous, aloof, and disinterested. People with social anxiety want to be "normal" socially, they want to make friends and they want to be involved and engaged in social interactions.

Having social anxiety prevents people from being able to do the things they want, however.

Triggering Symptoms: People with social anxiety usually experience significant distress in the following situations:

Being introduced to other people

Being teased or criticized

Being the center of attention

Social situations where the person exhibits excessive self-consciousness

Being watched or observed while doing something

Having to say something in a formal, public situation

Meeting people in authority ("important people/authority figures")

Feeling insecure and out of place in social situations ("I don't know what to say.")

Embarrassing easily (e.g., blushing)

Meeting other peoples' eyes

Swallowing, writing, talking, making phone calls if in public

This list is not a complete list of symptoms -- other symptoms may be associated with social anxiety as well.

Emotional Symptoms: The feelings that accompany social anxiety include anxiety, intense fear, nervousness, automatic negative thinking cycles, racing heart, blushing, excessive sweating, dry throat and mouth, trembling, and muscle twitches.

Constant, intense anxiety is the most common feature.

Insight: People with social anxiety know that their anxiety is irrational and does not make logical sense. Nevertheless, thoughts and feelings of anxiety persist and show no signs of going away, without appropriate treatment.

http://socialanxiety.factsforhealth.org/index.html

So I was in the car the other day, with my mom, driving to the airport to pick up my dad.
The whole car ride down I was just staring at my face in the mirror, close to tears, not happy with what I saw. I was so frustrated with my face. My mom kept telling me to close the mirror and that I looked fine. I didn't listen. As we were driving, I kept saying over and over again, I wish my acne was deactivated. New spots have been showing up each day it seems.

All of a sudden, there was a large SUV stopped dead in the middle of the highway! My mom didn't see it until we were almost right up on it, and we were going at about 70 mph. I saw my life flash in front of me. Luckily, my mom, having all the driving experience she has, was quickly able to check her right blind spot and swerve over mega quickly. We were literally a split second away from hitting that thing. My mom says we would have been dead, no doubt, if there had been a car to the right or if she couldn't react fast enough.

After that, I was like, WOW. I could be dead right now. I wished my acne was deactivated... well it sure would be if I was dead. I can tell you, that for the rest of the day, I didn't give a crap about my face. I was just SO thankful to be alive. And I still am as I type this.

I also know from this experience that there is obviously a purpose for my mom and I to still be living. Because I know that was God's hand behind the wheel. He still wants us alive on this earth.

Just thought it was a neat experience and that maybe I should share.
Sometimes you don't realize how much you are grateful for until it's almost all taken away from you. You forget that it could happen just like that, at anytime. I used to question whether or not I wanted to still live with my acne, now I KNOW that I do. There's still so darn much to live for.

My point of this story is, just be happy that you're alive and just live your life.
<3

What your plans were for friday night or what you were going to wear out

Since October my life has been so depressing for me.

I broke out in serious cystic acne and i dont even go out only sometimes at night when i know my friends arnt doing anything social.

I feel so bad cause i know other people have worse problems but its so hard to go from going out everyday and people telling me in cute and shit from staying home everyday and only going to college where i commute.

Chris Brown

http://img5.imageshack.us/i/cbproactiv1i.jpg/


Cristiano Ronaldo

http://img514.imageshack.us/i/cristianoronaldo27.jpg/

I hate when I listen to people bitch and moan about having acne, then when you see pictures or see them personally and they have like 1-4 bumps on their face. Shut the fuck up, that isn't bad one bit and grow up. Acne isn't that bad, everyone has their flaws. And when you go out with your friends in public and you can't turn down candy without telling them why. You're afraid they'll ask moar questions. They are your friends for a reason, cause they like you for you.

I'm up very late wating for my laundry to dry, and I think 'Wouldn't it be cool if we had an actual place/facility,etc. to meet one another?'. I mean, my friends are fine and all but they don't really understand 'this' consuming part of my existence. But with shady people on the internet, this might be just a silly, silly thought and I suppose internet will have to be enough. Still...i think it's entertaining. I wonder what ya'll would be like. See ya in dreamland and sorry for the babbling.

I've never created a new post before, but i really need advice.

So I meet this guy at a lounge when my face was mostly clear and of course the lighting also did me some justice. He's gorgeous and has AMAZING skin. I've been talking to him for the last few days and he keeps telling me that he thought i was beautiful and he keeps asking to take me out. Of course I’ve been breaking out for a few days and me going out on a date like this is not even an option. I don’t want him to think that I’m not interested in him, yet I don’t want him to see me and not be what he expected. I feel like he’s going to be disappointed. Do I just keep making excuses until my face clears up again? But how about if it never does .. Should i just go on the date and see if he's still interested?

Advice would be nice.. Thanks

Okayy i know this is my second time writing about this subject But i just cant help it..
becaaaaaauuuuuseeee i dooo feel like a fraud with make up on and dnt say its just like styling ur hair or wearing clothes coz its not its totally diffrent..

i can never shake the feelin of how guilty i feel=(
even though i conceal my red marks really well its just the feelin off taken all the make up and lookin at the real me thats really sad its like if i cant except my self who will??? !!

Anyyhooooo enough of me feelin sorry for myself..

peaaace!

God, everything would be perfect...

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