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Breaking out quite a bit on my neck and jawlines at the moment. Got to try to eat healthier and start looking after myself better.
On the MH front, I`ve been assigned to a community mental health team and saw a community psychiatric nurse yesterday to discuss my depression. Spent the best part of two hours discussing anything and everything. The nurse is going to discuss my case with the rest of the "team" and I have to go back for another appointment on Tuesday to discuss medication, treatment and therapy going forward. I`m still very low but at least now I have a lot of support to help me going forward. I know that I`m really fortunate because there are a lot of people out there who are not currently being treated and are being frustrated by the NHS. It`s not a newspaper I normally read but a friend shared an interesting article from the Daily Mirror with me on Facebook the other day. Here is the link:-
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/nhs-crisis-mental-health-scandal-3037029#.UuKtIbTFLIV
I keep getting pimples on my chin and jawline. I think this has been going on for more than a year now. Many times I stop breaking out for a week or so but then they come back so I have red marks and new pimples all the time. It's really frustrating and I feel so embarassed...when will it end? I thought I'd have clear skin by this age but no!
Not good at all, I have this deep cyst that is really brining me down, sigh. Spending my birthday by myself. Does anyone have any tips to keep this thing maintained or possibly a way to bring it down a little bit. I'm on keflex and am spot treating it with acanya (clindamycin+ benzoyl peroxide)
Since coming back from college, I've had some breakouts around my mouth and chin. The only thing that has changed in my life is my diet, slightly. I've picked eating oatmeal back up (can't resist), and have noticed more breakouts. Maybe I have to nix it out, I have heard people linking wheat and gluten to acne.
My skin is looking better today. Lots of PIH though. No scarring which I'm grateful for. Only a couple of actives left. Been hammering the 10% BP and using it twice a day: my skin isn't permanently red and swollen like it was last time. Going to knock it down to a maintenance dose of 2.5% once I'm clear again.
I'm angry because my skin is the worst.
I have one big pimple [2 heads so it hurts like hell] and I'm red, and you wanna know why I'm red? because I'm upset with a family member and I hate that my skin can show so much emotion and get bad over something that in actuality isn't the worst thing in the world. I've calmed down since yesterday [said family member stupidity] but I'm suffering the side effects.
Even when I'm embarrassed I get flushed and my skin gets agitated. Why can't I have normal skin and normal emotional responses? I'm definitely more angry at myself than said family member which is ridiculous but true.
Not so great. I'm getting obsessed with my acne scars and skin texture, which is awful in winter.
Today, someone took me for much older than I am. Later I looked at myself in a mirror and saw why. Tired looking dry skin with deep scars here and there and dark circles around my eyes, eh...
Not so great. I'm getting obsessed with my acne scars and skin texture, which is awful in winter.
Today, someone took me for much older than I am. Later I looked at myself in a mirror and saw why. Tired looking dry skin with deep scars here and there and dark circles around my eyes, eh...
i know exactly how you feel... A woman told me a couple of months ago that i look younger with my hair loose. Not sure how younger i could be.. But my skin has wrinkles around the lips, i also have black circles and of course all these marks. The good thing is that at least i seem to have found a way to prevent the vast majority of comedones and that diet doesn't seem to affect me anymore-but i have yet to try more than a bit of cheese or a few sips of milk, i am totally terrified when it comes to dairy...
You're clear of new acne aren't you
Not so great. I'm getting obsessed with my acne scars and skin texture, which is awful in winter.
Today, someone took me for much older than I am. Later I looked at myself in a mirror and saw why. Tired looking dry skin with deep scars here and there and dark circles around my eyes, eh...
i know exactly how you feel... A woman told me a couple of months ago that i look younger with my hair loose. Not sure how younger i could be.. But my skin has wrinkles around the lips, i also have black circles and of course all these marks. The good thing is that at least i seem to have found a way to prevent the vast majority of comedones and that diet doesn't seem to affect me anymore-but i have yet to try more than a bit of cheese or a few sips of milk, i am totally terrified when it comes to dairy...
You're clear of new acne aren't you
I'm terrified about dairy too. I run to the toilet 20 min after eating some dairy product, seems like my body doesn't accept it anymore.
How cold is it in Greece right now? I guess still a bit better than freaking northern Europe, it's so cold that no moisturizer ever helps me from the dryness.
Yup, I'm kinda clean, have occasional zits here and there (some are still nasty), but cyst-free for 2 months. It was a good advice you gave me, about overdoing it with yasmin, spiro and peppermint tea. I reduced the amount of spiro and it works much better. Thanks for it.
On 1/26/2014 at 9:38 PM, Pianina said:On 1/26/2014 at 2:15 PM, maria199 said:On 1/26/2014 at 9:53 AM, Pianina said:Not so great. I'm getting obsessed with my acne scars and skin texture, which is awful in winter.
Today, someone took me for much older than I am. Later I looked at myself in a mirror and saw why. Tired looking dry skin with deep scars here and there and dark circles around my eyes, eh...
i know exactly how you feel... A woman told me a couple of months ago that i look younger with my hair loose. Not sure how younger i could be.. But my skin has wrinkles around the lips, i also have black circles and of course all these marks. The good thing is that at least i seem to have found a way to prevent the vast majority of comedones and that diet doesn't seem to affect me anymore-but i have yet to try more than a bit of cheese or a few sips of milk, i am totally terrified when it comes to dairy...
You're clear of new acne aren't you
I'm terrified about dairy too. I run to the toilet 20 min after eating some dairy product, seems like my body doesn't accept it anymore.
How cold is it in Greece right now? I guess still a bit better than freaking northern Europe, it's so cold that no moisturizer ever helps me from the dryness.
Yup, I'm kinda clean, have occasional zits here and there (some are still nasty), but cyst-free for 2 months. It was a good advice you gave me, about overdoing it with yasmin, spiro and peppermint tea. I reduced the amount of spiro and it works much better. Thanks for it.
My only symptom is huge papules but that's enough to make me try to keep away from them.
Winters are mild here and this one is milder than the usual. I even have pepper plants with flowers and small fruits and a tomato ready to flourish, it's crazy! I know that with that type of weather you need a really goog moisturizer but it also has to be suitable for acne prone skin, really tough combination to find. An avene serum helped me when my skin was completely dry and irritated from b.p., i don't know if it could be a solution for you too.
I am glad that my advice helped you! I have some occasional small papules or inflamed clogged pores but especially the papules are nothing compared to what my breakouts used to be so now i just feel happy that my skin is moving towards healing and not to a constant creation of new acne and marks.
I feel better today...I didn't use the lotion and moisturizer on my chin yesterday and today and it's already looking much better. Hmm...I don't know what to do anymore...my chin is very problematic. And now if I stop taking care of the skin there, it will get flaky and I will still get a spot here and there. LOL funny how you try to take care of your skin but you only make it much worse. *sigh* Maybe I will have to try using a different moisturizer on my chin...but which one...
And my neck is making me miserable as well. Ugh. Thank god for scarves at the moment! Although I think that's what has triggered my acne there in the first place.
Well unbelievably.... I currently have no actives! 
(although I'm certain that won't last long now I've said this) Hyperpigmentation is fading at its usual snail pace but looks much better than it did a few months ago, some of the indents that I thought would turn into nasty pitted scars don't seem to be doing so (yet) and my skin is nice and smooth at the moment despite some red marks still. Saw my dermatologist last week and again he refused to prescribe Accutane because of my mood, which for once I didn't really mind, so I'm continuing on the Lymecycline, Dianette, Epiduo combo for the next two months at least.
I've found that recently I don't even care about my skin that much. You may think "yay, lucky you!" but the reality is that my mental health has gone so downhill recently that I've been more concerned with spending the last two weeks constantly in and out of hospital, the GP surgery, and our counselling centre at uni; being prescribed various different drugs in the hopes of making even the slightest indent against my depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety attacks (currently on 9 pills a day and still breaking down on a regular basis); and being put on waiting lists to see various different professionals for talking treatments, all of which seem to be longer than the Wall of China. When you struggle to get through as much as 3-18 seconds without wanting to hurt and kill yourself because of how badly the emotional pain is ripping you apart from the inside out, being told the wait is likely to be 3-18 months is a bit like receiving a death sentence. Suddenly my skin doesn't seem so important anymore....
On 1/28/2014 at 3:48 PM, MoonlitRiver said:Well unbelievably.... I currently have no actives!
(although I'm certain that won't last long now I've said this) Hyperpigmentation is fading at its usual snail pace but looks much better than it did a few months ago, some of the indents that I thought would turn into nasty pitted scars don't seem to be doing so (yet) and my skin is nice and smooth at the moment despite some red marks still. Saw my dermatologist last week and again he refused to prescribe Accutane because of my mood, which for once I didn't really mind, so I'm continuing on the Lymecycline, Dianette, Epiduo combo for the next two months at least.
I've found that recently I don't even care about my skin that much. You may think "yay, lucky you!" but the reality is that my mental health has gone so downhill recently that I've been more concerned with spending the last two weeks constantly in and out of hospital, the GP surgery, and our counselling centre at uni; being prescribed various different drugs in the hopes of making even the slightest indent against my depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety attacks (currently on 9 pills a day and still breaking down on a regular basis); and being put on waiting lists to see various different professionals for talking treatments, all of which seem to be longer than the Wall of China. When you struggle to get through as much as 3-18 seconds without wanting to hurt and kill yourself because of how badly the emotional pain is ripping you apart from the inside out, being told the wait is likely to be 3-18 months is a bit like receiving a death sentence. Suddenly my skin doesn't seem so important anymore....
That's good to hear your skin is doing better! But I'm sorry things are still so rough regarding the mental health side of things.
I wish there was something I could do.. I think it's ridiculous there's such a long waiting period for you there!
Hang in there! Sending virtual hugs your way
That's good to hear your skin is doing better! But I'm sorry things are still so rough regarding the mental health side of things.
I wish there was something I could do.. I think it's ridiculous there's such a long waiting period for you there!
Hang in there!
Sending virtual hugs your way
Thank you for the support Lilly, much appreciated! Xxx
Skin is breaking out pretty badly at the moment and it is probably due to my really bad diet right now. To be honest, I don`t care that much any more.
Well unbelievably.... I currently have no actives!
I've found that recently I don't even care about my skin that much. You may think "yay, lucky you!" but the reality is that my mental health has gone so downhill recently that I've been more concerned with spending the last two weeks constantly in and out of hospital, the GP surgery, and our counselling centre at uni; being prescribed various different drugs in the hopes of making even the slightest indent against my depression, suicidal thoughts and anxiety attacks (currently on 9 pills a day and still breaking down on a regular basis); and being put on waiting lists to see various different professionals for talking treatments, all of which seem to be longer than the Wall of China. When you struggle to get through as much as 3-18 seconds without wanting to hurt and kill yourself because of how badly the emotional pain is ripping you apart from the inside out, being told the wait is likely to be 3-18 months is a bit like receiving a death sentence. Suddenly my skin doesn't seem so important anymore....
Really pleased for you that you skin is clear Moonlit and I`m glad that the HP is fading and there doesn`t appear to be any long-term scarring. I`m so sorry that you are suffering on the MH side of things. As it goes, after today I can empathise with you on the waiting lists. I saw a community psychiatric nurse for an appointment today and I`ve been told that I could do with seeing a psychologist but there is currently a waiting list of 12-18 months locally. In the mean I`ve just been told to finish the course of counselling that I have with my employer (I currently have two sessions left) and maybe consider private counselling thereafter (which is not as cheap as I first thought and I cannot afford). So after the end of next week I will have no support at all and it will be down to me to sort myself out. No idea how I`m going to do that.
Lily75 is right, it is absolutely ridiculous that waiting lists are so long. Look after yourself, I really hope that things improve for you soon.
Skin is breaking out pretty badly at the moment and it is probably due to my really bad diet right now. To be honest, I don`t care that much any more.
Really pleased for you that you skin is clear Moonlit and I`m glad that the HP is fading and there doesn`t appear to be any long-term scarring. I`m so sorry that you are suffering on the MH side of things. As it goes, after today I can empathise with you on the waiting lists. I saw a community psychiatric nurse for an appointment today and I`ve been told that I could do with seeing a psychologist but there is currently a waiting list of 12-18 months locally. In the mean I`ve just been told to finish the course of counselling that I have with my employer (I currently have two sessions left) and maybe consider private counselling thereafter (which is not as cheap as I first thought and I cannot afford). So after the end of next week I will have no support at all and it will be down to me to sort myself out. No idea how I`m going to do that.
Lily75 is right, it is absolutely ridiculous that waiting lists are so long. Look after yourself, I really hope that things improve for you soon.
The whole system's ridiculous. My referral to the CMHT went through two and a half weeks ago and they still haven't allocated me a CPN or offered me an appointment and I can't get a psychology referral until they do that even though the crisis team have already done a full assessment and said that's the only thing that's going to help me. I've been told I'm too ill to do CBT in the interim so all of those referrals have been cancelled. Even when they do refer me to psychology it could take anything up to 18 months. If they imagine that I'm still going to be alive by that point without any help or support then they are sorely mistaken.
My skin today is crappy, so much so that I've stayed in the last 3 days, managed to drop off my son at school but couldn't talk to anyone or make eye contact though. To MoonLitRiver and GUNNKE I feel your pain on the MH side. The last 18 months I have been under the care of the CMHT with multiple visits from the crisis team and a 9 week stint at a day hospital, I have had a psychological assessment and have been diagnosed with bdd but have been told it will be at least 6 months before I can see anyone. I too was told I was too ill for CBT. All I can say is don't take no for an answer, my care coordinator tried to discharge me 6 months ago and I had a massive relapse so now they have said they won't discharge me til I am in therapy. If you need help make sure someone listens, I was at my gp surgery every other day until someone listened. It can get better I promise. If you ever need to talk/rant etc I have been through it so feel free to contact me x
P1nky, I hear you when you say not to take no for an answer but when you have social anxiety, it makes it incredibly hard to constantly badger your GP until they listen. I was really fortunate that when I explained in no uncertain terms what my plans were last week, my GP listened and I got referred to and seen by my local CMHT within 3 days. I had the first appointment with a cpn last Thursday and another appointment with the same cpn yesterday so that they could "assess" me and gather as much information as possible. I forgot to mention it in my previous post but I have to see the cpn again in two weeks time. In the meantime, I`m to have the final two counselling sessions with the counsellor I see via my employer. I`m ahead of MoonlitRiver in terms of the fact that I have been assessed but any eventual treatment/therapy will probably take months and months to come about. I`ve done CBT in the past but as my issues are so deep-rooted, a combination of psychotherapy/counselling/psychology are apparently my best options going forward.
On the plus side, I`ve recently found out that my cousin has suffered from depression and anxiety over the past few years and I`ve been able to talk to her on Facebook. I met up with her today. She has experienced many of the issues that I have and it is really nice to be able to talk to someone in real life who understands. She is very lucky to have a kind and supportive husband who understands and stands by her no matter how low or how ill she is. We`re planning on meeting up once a week. I`m so thankful for this because thanks to my erratic behaviour recently, I`ve lost an online friend. It`s a sad fact of life but depression can make me a horrible person - however, I`d like to think that it was my illness and not the real me that cost me so dear. I`m therefore grateful that I now have another support mechanism in place.
Really sorry that your skin has caused you to have such anxiety. Probably really easy for me to say but I`m betting that it`s more your perception of how you look and in reality, no one would judge you or view you as negatively as you view yourself. I`ve been diagnosed myself with bdd in the past and the CBT that I had last year was to do with my hang-ups over my skin and appearance. It has helped but the hang-ups and insecurities can still rear their head from time to time. If you ever want to chat/vent/talk about skin, bdd or MH issues, feel free to contact me via PM too.
My skin today is crappy, so much so that I've stayed in the last 3 days, managed to drop off my son at school but couldn't talk to anyone or make eye contact though. To MoonLitRiver and GUNNKE I feel your pain on the MH side. The last 18 months I have been under the care of the CMHT with multiple visits from the crisis team and a 9 week stint at a day hospital, I have had a psychological assessment and have been diagnosed with bdd but have been told it will be at least 6 months before I can see anyone. I too was told I was too ill for CBT. All I can say is don't take no for an answer, my care coordinator tried to discharge me 6 months ago and I had a massive relapse so now they have said they won't discharge me til I am in therapy. If you need help make sure someone listens, I was at my gp surgery every other day until someone listened. It can get better I promise. If you ever need to talk/rant etc I have been through it so feel free to contact me x
The whole system's ridiculous. My referral to the CMHT went through two and a half weeks ago and they still haven't allocated me a CPN or offered me an appointment and I can't get a psychology referral until they do that even though the crisis team have already done a full assessment and said that's the only thing that's going to help me. I've been told I'm too ill to do CBT in the interim so all of those referrals have been cancelled. Even when they do refer me to psychology it could take anything up to 18 months. If they imagine that I'm still going to be alive by that point without any help or support then they are sorely mistaken.
I`m fortunate that I have seen a CPN twice and been "assessed". However, I`ve not been referred for anything as of yet and I have to see the CPN again on 11/2/2014 when they will hopefully decide for definite. I`ll still probably have to wait months and months for anything to come about though and as you say, the whole system is ridiculous and doesn`t seem to cater for anyone who is seriously ill. I`ve read a couple of your posts recently Moonlit and I`m so sorry that you are struggling so much these days. I do have a suggestion for you but I`m not sure that you would want to hear it and in any case, not sure if it`s my place to give you that sort of advice nowadays anyway. If you do want to hear it, you`re more than welcome to PM me but I`ll leave that up to you. Whatever you decide, look after yourself and stay safe.
I`m fortunate that I have seen a CPN twice and been "assessed". However, I`ve not been referred for anything as of yet and I have to see the CPN again on 11/2/2014 when they will hopefully decide for definite. I`ll still probably have to wait months and months for anything to come about though and as you say, the whole system is ridiculous and doesn`t seem to cater for anyone who is seriously ill. I`ve read a couple of your posts recently Moonlit and I`m so sorry that you are struggling so much these days. I do have a suggestion for you but I`m not sure that you would want to hear it and in any case, not sure if it`s my place to give you that sort of advice nowadays anyway. If you do want to hear it, you`re more than welcome to PM me but I`ll leave that up to you. Whatever you decide, look after yourself and stay safe.
Not that I'm downplaying what you've written in any way, but by far the most exciting thing about seeing this post was your change of profile picture! I hope the two little fellas are getting on alright still.
It will be 3 weeks tomorrow since I was referred to Recovery and Independent Living and I'm still just on their pending list. Can't get referrals for anything until I get a CPN, and I can't get a CPN until they decide I'm worth offering an assessment appointment to. Anybody's guess when that will be and seeing as I've been deemed to ill to even do CBT now I am basically screwed and have no treatment options at all. The crisis team have even said to me that the only thing that's going to help me now is seeing a psychologist for some kind of psychotherapy and that even if I were well enough to do CBT they didn't think it would do much good anyway. Yet the wait has still been estimated to be anything between 4 and 18 months. I plan to haunt whoever's in charge of the NHS mental health system from the grave when I have to finally admit defeat and leave this world haha. Would be interested to hear your suggestion, but from the sounds of it I won't like it too much. Hope you keep safe too. At least you're in the system now and somebody has noticed and cared about your struggles, that's a start.