Hello acne.org community,

When I was younger, I was a warmhearted individual who had unconditional love for everybody until my life took a drastic turn at the age of eleven. In middle school I developed perioral dermatitis which later progressed into severe acne. I was the victim of disparagement and was isolated, as if I suffered from a combination of Ebola & leprosy.

Heres a scenario to visualize: A week after school picture, my English instructor distributed the self-portraits to each classmate. The instructor then looks down at the next photograph, makes a repulsive facial expression and says (and I quote) Ew, thats so gross . She does not hand me the photo in hand, but swiftly throws it on my desk.

High school years were also the same with rude remarks & discouraging stares. My undergraduate years were much better; I was looked upon for my intelligence instead of my appearance.

Now in 2015: I have been heavily involved in the scientific community with university research (thankfully nobody gives a flying cock if you have acne or not another reason why I love my fellow scientists - instead on focusing on personal aesthetics, we are focusing on the cognitive mechanisms of the brain that may prevent Alzheimers ).

I have plentiful of scars and a few spots here & there. My battle scars are a constant reminder of everything that Ive been through. Unfortunately I have become a bitter person in nature (dare I say misanthropic as well). My heart is as realistic as a humanoid robot. I consistently make snide remarks at the most minuscule of topics the average person would talk about & my empathetic aptitude has plummeted into the great depths of Hell. I now have a hard time relating to others because of the lack of empathy or experience. This is why I joined this community, because we have all endured the same pain and the support we can give for one another.

I firmly believe that if I had not experienced the misfortune of events, I would havenot been this coldhearted. I believe thatmy snide remarks & the notorious "I don't give a fuck" disposition serves as aprotective barrierfrom experiencing another emotionally traumatic experience.Deep down somewhere in the core of my being, I want to have this unconditional love again. I hope this can relate to anyone & that it may provide some sort of comfort.