Hi there, I could relate two different things to get my main two points across: a white shirt with a huge mud stain on it and being the only person in a room without a friend (this is not being a troll, this is me being honest).

White shirt with a mud stain: I find myself focusing solely on my acne when I look in the mirror. Quite honestly, I wouldn't consider myself a bad looking guy if I didn't have acne. However, when I look in the mirror, the acne is the only thing I see / focus on. It essentially makes me feel ugly and ruins any self-confidence I could potentially have. Think about a white shirt with a mud stain. When looking at that shirt, all you would focus on is the stain and how much it stands out. That's how I feel about my acne. The worst for me is pictures. I can't remember the last time I liked a picture of myself that wasn't edited to make my acne look less severe.

Being the only person in the room without a friend: Imagine a room full of people talking and enjoying themselves and then yourself just sitting alone, not saying a word. This is how I tend to think of acne in the social aspect because I feel like one of the very few people still affected by acne. I'm only 20 years old, but almost everyone I'm friends with is done with acne and has a clear complexion. They are done with their battles with acne while I'm really struggling.

The WORST thing is when kids make fun of others' acne in front of me. I can't tell you how many times my friends will make fun of another friend as a joke and say, "Nice pimple," because the friend has one pimple. Then there is me, sitting there with acne all over my face. While I know their joke wasn't intended to hurt me, it's a huge slap in the face. My "sitting in a crowded room but feeling alone" example shows how I feel like an outsider and the only one dealing with this problem.

I hope my answer was something like what you were looking for.

19 hours ago, jasminevt said:

I was talking with my mom about how frustating havingacne can be and she asked me asked me what would i compare it toso i could help her understand how i'm feeling. Ihave no idea. My therapist asked me that too. At first i answered that if felt like your at a party and you find out that your jeans are ripped right in your butt and not in a fashion way. I compared having acne to this situation because of how uncomfortable it would be and because everyone would be having a great time and, even though you could also have a good time, the fact that your jeans are ripped right in your butt would stay in your mind, i mean, you would still have to be careful not to make everyone see it. But then i thought that this is not really comparable to having acne, because acne is in your body, is not something you can go home and take it off. I much rather have to worry about my jeans at a party than about my acne. I really don't know what to compare. Do you have any idea? Imagine you are trying to make someone with clear skin understand what it feels to have acne.

Gee i really wouldnt have thought it was that hard for someone to understand what acne is like - i mean dont they have an imagination ?? What do they think it feels like having painful red sores all over your face!
When i describe the pain i usually say its like someone got a knife and made lots of little stab wounds on my face.
I describe the psychological feeling in many ways. Sometimes i say its like i'm trapped in the wrong body or in a prison. Also i say it feels like you planned a day to the beach and when you get there its pouring rain - so the day is kind of spoilt right, hard to enjoy yourself. Well that is everyday with acne - always the day is ruined no matter how much i try to not let it upset me.

I guess your mom doesn't have a strong imagination. I'd liken acne to anything that is easily visible, that most people don't have. Thus acne could be similar to if someone had a huge birthmark on their face, large mole or moles, a huge black eye, etc. The main difference is some of those things go away and some of them don't really go away but don't really cause emotional or physical pain (i.e. birthmarks, moles, etc.).

The thing that likely hurt acne sufferers the most emotionally and psychologically is the fact that ignorant people think that you have a contagious disease.... In doing so, they treat you as lepers were once treated by ostracizing you and trying to avoid you at all costs.

Terminal cancer

Facial disfigurement. I never had acne but have a disfiguring scar on my face due to an accident

A constant bit of snot hanging from your nose. Everyone can see it, it's disgusting, but most people won't point it out. The difference is you can't get rid of it and know it's always there. That's how self-conscious it makes me

I think this is really interesting because it sounds like it should be so easy, and then I think about it and it's quite difficult! In my opinion it is different to a birthmark or mole etc (mentioned above) because although those things may always be visible and someone might feel embarrassed by them, they do not have the same association of being 'unclean'. I know we all know that acne is not about cleanliness, but not everyone else does, and the fact that there is basically a bunch of pus on your face is, well, it's gross irrespective of cause.
I think it's that 'unclean' aspect of it that makes acne more of a taboo, and also the fact that many people (including amazingly so many people on these boards) who believe that it is something you are doing 'wrong' to your body that it causing it - I mean lets face it, if cutting out a single food group (as an example) would actually cure all acne, then NO-ONE would have acne any more.
So the best comparison I could come up with would be getting your period heavily on a day you were wearing white trousers and not being able to change. Except its every single day. It's something that is taboo in our society, and people would judge you for it and think you were disgusting even though its just a thing your body is doing naturally. It's not a perfect comparison but the best I could think up....

Racism, slavery

Maybe on some level it's similar to being overweight or having tourettes....or any number of things that make you feel like you don't fit in or somehow aren't normal and you feel people are talking about you in an unkind way and no matter what you do totry to change the way you appear you just can't and random people offer you advice...have you tried this?...and it's the same advice that 100 other people already gave that you've tried and tried and tried...