Hello to everyone!

I am not sure if this is the right board to post this on, but I felt obligated to share my success story seeing as how I used to live on these forums 8-10 years ago.....

I recently took a trip down memory lane going through some old pictures and remembered how much this website used to mean to me.

Back in high school, I suffered from absolutely horrific cystic acne that plagued my face. It started at the end of my freshman year, but got progressively worse the beginning of my sophomore year and then turned unbearable midway through until the beginning of my junior year. It ruined everything for me. I couldn't be social. I couldn't be myself. I crawled into a shell and found every excuse in the book to leave school early, skip school, and stay home on the weekends. I would cry myself to sleep. I felt worthless. At several points, I didn't want to live anymore.

It would kill me to see everyone in high school having the times of their lives, dating each other, going out, doing things, etc.....and I couldn't. I tried. People would make fun of me and some would even avoid me. I went from being popular to being a loner with a couple "outcast" friends. I read and researched what to do. I tried everything. Nothing worked.

One day, my grandmother made me an appointment with the dermatologist and we decided on an accutane treatment after I brought it up to her. She could tell I did my homework on the drug and knew the emotional rollercoaster I had been on only after a 10 minute conversation. I cried in the office....I pleaded for her to help. And she did.

It was the best decision I've ever made in my life.

A few months after the accutane treatment, my acne didn't just clear up -- it went away. Entirely. No more pimples. No more hard painful cysts. No more puss and blood. Nothing. Remarkably, not much scarring either. I went back to being normal...I went back to being me. The weight of 10 millions pounds fell off my shoulders. Finally, by the end of my junion year, I was without any acne. And it remained that way.

8 years later, I've become a very successful person. I'm about to graduate colllege. I'm a full time police officer. I have an amazing girlfriend. The list goes on and on. However, without accutane and the decision to go through with it, all of that may have never happened. I may not even be alive.

I guess my point here isn't to try and sell you on accutane or any type of drug. My goal here is to have hope! Believe! Just like the name I created to join this forum, put faith in God.... "trustandbelieve."

Keep your heads up. I know how hard it is. Don't ever think you can't make it. You are powerful beyond measure!!!