A Victor's Story

Hey guys,

It seems like it's been ages since posted on acne.org. I was quite a regular for a few years. Well, I have been free of acne for a year now, and I wanted to offer some encouragement to fellow acne sufferers. I know right where you guys are at (view my old posts to see what I mean).

My story
I suffered from moderate to severe acne for close to six years. It lasted from middle school, through high school and my first year of college. The last three years were the worst. Both physically and emotionally I was a complete wreck. I raged, cried, screamed, and hated myself because of my skin. Luckily I found this website, which helped me to cope. But I never found a cure. And I tried everything, from topicals and Rx antibiotics to fad diets and internet scams. Nothing ever worked.

I tried to learn to live with acne. I tried to love myself, and be happy with who I was. It worked, sometimes. But regardless of how I felt about my acne, it was always there and I couldn't ignore it. It became the source of so many problems in my life. My social life, job, academics, faith, and everything that mattered to me suffered because of acne. It's a serious disease.

My cure
After fighting it for much too long, I finally turned to the one cure guaranteed to work: Accutane. For some reason the dark stigma surrounding this drug frightened me away from it for years. I only wish I had taken it much sooner. If you look in my signature you can find a link to my tane log. It ended 6 years of pain. It worked quickly and had minimal side effects. And 1 year later, I'm still free.

My Continuing Story
Being acne free is, quite simply, incredible. It took a very long time, but my self confidence and social skills eventually strengthened. I continued to fear acne's return for a while after I was clear, but no longer. It's gone for good, thanks to tane. I'm a totally new person compared to who I was a year ago.
When I frequented the org as an acne sufferer I used to hate posts like the one I'm writing now. I hated knowing that others had escaped it when I was still suffering. Maybe you feel that way too. I can only say, there is hope. During my 6 years of hell I never stopped looking for a cure, and eventually I found it. Don't give up. One day you'll find yours.

If you have any questions or would like to talk, message me or reply to this thread. Blessings!

One way to escape the pain

You hate what you see in the mirror. You hate how inferior it makes you feel to other humans. Your heart breaks to have relationships that now feel out of reach and possibility.
It doesn't have to be like this.

Something I found of inumerable value during my struggle with acne is bringing joy to others. This disease eats away at self esteem. But encouraging others often heals both the giver and receiver. This is not general "Just be a nice person" advice. I mean choosing to go out of your way to intentionally be kind to others. One of the methods I use is giving free candy to people on campus. I attach a little verse that says "taste and see that the Lord is good." Does it change their world? Probably not, but it can brighten their day, be a way to meet new people, and it makes me feel better as well. What could you do to help out others?

You'd be surprised that when you feel worthless how giving worth to others brings a measure of worth to yourself. No, it won't rid you of acne. No it won't completely erase the pain. But it helps.

I'm writing this as someone recovering from several years this agony. I always thought that as soon as my skin cleared up life would be as happy as it used to be. I didn't know how wrong this idea was. I have scars, both physically and psychologically. It'll take a while to recover, but I'm doing my best. Best wishes to you all, and my prayers are with you.

If you could erase the memory

That's a quote from my tane log today. I've been mostly clear thanks to tane , yet I still get the occassional breakout. It really brought me down today because I've been so much happier about my skin.

But a part of me was thankful for it.

See I worry sometimes during the rare stints of clear skin that I will forget the pain acne brought me. This renewed struggle with acne tempered my happiness with caution: Be glad of clearing up, but not so glad that you forget what you've overcome. I am not happy that I've suffered these long years, but I want to remember what I've been through so I can cherish what I've gained.

NOTE: I'm not asking if you could erase the experience, only the memory. I think we can all agree that none of us would choose to suffer from acne, regardless of what suffering may have taught us.

Self Sacrifice

Would you accept an entire face covered in severe cystic acne which could never be cured if it meant that no one else on these forums would ever suffer from acne again? No one would ever know your name, and you may never receive a word of thanks.
Would it be worth it?

This is a question I've been wondering inside since I joined these forums over a year ago. I've never yet posted it here because I've never known the answer. But after reading the accounts of so many suffering souls I think I can finally say that I would make the sacrifice. I like to think so anyway. When else would I have the opportunity to improve so many people's lives?
What would you choose?

Yay! Art of drowning is back!

Hey aod, just wanted to say that I'm happy and relieved to hear from you. I'm sorry life hasn't gotten any easier for you. Still, there are allus members of the org who'll understand (as best we can) what you are going through. Hang in there man.
Iliad Keys