I totally sympathise with this, I feel the same way all the time. Unfortunately being angry at our situation gets us nowhere and has no chance of making us feel better or improving our acne. Equally I think when people tell a depressed person or a person with acne to think of themselves as lucky because they don't have something worse like cancer or they're not a starving child in Africa or the victim of a terrible earthquake it is so incredibly unhelpful. Depression and acne are both very real and difficult problems for an individual to deal with and should not be devalued or made to appear superficial in any way.

However, people who have never suffered from either of these problems do find them difficult to understand and do not always appreciate the effect that their words or actions might have on that individual. My dad's a psychiatrist and even he frequently says things to me that make me feel miles worse about my skin, like terming my make-up regime as "putting on the war paint". My mum tries to understand but like your mum she's also been known to say to me "Oh as soon as you get your skin cleared up you're going to be really pretty". Friends have also said to me "if you wore less foundation you'd look so much more natural" not knowing that I wear so much to cover the horrific acne underneath it and actually hate wearing it.

Comments like these are no doubt meant well but they do nothing for the self-esteem of someone who suffers with acne. The way I end up having to think of it is that I have to rise above such comments. I know that they are not meant badly and if my parents and friends knew how much they hurt me they would never say them. But you have to realise that they just don't understand. I think that they are very lucky to be in a position where they have never suffered from these issues and therefore don't fully understand how to approach them. They are human after all and need to be cut a bit of slack. When things are outside our own personal experience we are bound to gauge them wrongly sometimes. Your options really are to either explain to your loved ones how these remarks make you feel or just learn to shrug them off in the knowledge that they were not intended to hurt you and were borne out of a blissful ignorance rather than any malicious intent.

Sorry this turned into quite a long reply but as you can tell I felt quite strongly about both issues! I hope at least some of it was helpful. Please know you're not alone in this.

I like your long reply-thanks!

I dont believe in a god- byt I have the same issue but im in the middle of taking accutane for my moderate, rosacea complexion that caused me frustration and anxiety for going on 6 years. It started in those years one is supposed to develop. My complexion caused me great troubles and anxiety but its weird.... i wouldnt change a thing because i have become quite a cunning individual. I feel that the bump in the road made me blossom into a better person. Idk this is just me.

I once got told by a lad whilst in my teens, that if I didn't have acne I'd be "well fit". Once he picked himself up off the floor I told him I'd rather have the acne, thanks!

I am angry that God allows me to have acne on top of everything else thatI have to deal with in life. I have a significant learning disorder that I have to manage 24/7. I also have clinical depression. Don't I have ENOUGH to deal with? WHY do I have to deal with this shit, too? I feel like the Universe is mocking me-like, "nah nah nah nah nah, you can't even have clear skin, you have to have this crap, too."

Also, my mom is the sweetest person in the world, but she says stupid things that make me even more upset. For instance, "This is to show you that beauty is on the inside and not the outside; you'd be too beautiful if your skin were clear." Seriously?

I 100% get where you're coming from, probably more than you know. It's really difficult to have trust in God when we feel so miserable and awful both on the outside and inside. Your problems may seem like the world's biggest but they aren't. God gives different people different challenges and it's because He know you have the strength! Stop dwelling on your skin, stop picking out the bad things in your life, and concentrate and the blessings God has given you and WILL send your way. I recently saw this beautiful message by Joel Osteen (called a Magnet for blessings) that talked about focusing on God no matter the circumstance and in due time he will give you what you need and more, I suggest you take a look at it on Youtube. This is just another difficulty that you have to overcome, but be sure that the more trust you have in God while you're going through it the greater the outcome. Something I like to remember is that God made us in His likeness and no matter what "flaws" we see we are still beautiful. You need to care about what God thinks about you not what people think, keep your head up high and remember that God is your almighty father and that the King of Kings thinks you are absolutely beautiful and he wouldn't change you for the world. This too will pass, it may just take a while, but God wants to see what you accomplish from it, what blessings you get from this difficulty.

Pick up your bible, read devotionals, and mainly talk to God. When you are immersed in His word, your problems seem small and you'll remember how beautiful He and the world is and why you should be enjoying it. If you let God 100% into your life and connect with Him, you'll see how He can heal you of your disorder, depression, and acne and use all three to benefit you in a way that you never saw coming.

God bless you, I truly wish you the best.

I understand how you feel; you're angry because you feel like you have so much to burden, especially when you have to deal with the things others never have to deal with. Sometimes it feels like it's too much; and sometimes you can't even look at yourself without your self-esteem crumbling. And to add to all that, nobody seems to understand you, and it just feels like you're alone.

Just understand that parents, no matter how many times they unintentionally hurt you, really do love you, care for you, and want you to be happy. I went through a phase where my self-esteem was so low, and I would get mad at my parents over EVERYTHING, simply because I felt anger towards myself for being "hideous" and "worthless". But I'll tell you something; It gets better. I know depression hurts and is sometimes impossible to overcome, but it is important to remember who you are.

Who are you? You are a daughter of a God; a beautiful, intelligent girl who has suffered through so much, but will keep her head held high until the end because you know you're worth it. Remember that, keep your faith, and realize how strong you truly are. You are a fighter; don't ever let depression win you.You're stronger, smarter, and wroth so much more than you think you are.

That's life. Sometimes you get the severe short end of the stick. Truthfully, as someone that can relate to your situation more than you know (I was also born with a learning disability, had a life altering illness and had severe acne for 14 years plus!) I wouldn't mourn your circumstances too much as it will totally lead to complete emotional despair and self implosion.

Instead.. ignore your current problems and bury yourself in something you enjoy. Try to take yourself away mentally and emotionally from your pain. I understand that might seem impossible and almost ridiculous to do as dealing with multiple problems at once can completey absorb your focus and emotional energy and leave you trapped in severe depression but it's the only think that will help preserve your mental health.