Ok so lately I've been quite active on the site and reading a lot of blogs and forums (social life has been a bit slow!) and it seems to me that there's a massive psychological difference between teens and adults attitudes to acne. I don't mean to sound patronising AT ALL here because frankly I remember what it was like when I was younger suffering with spots. I've noticed that in posts and blogs by younger people I can see the desperation jumping out of the screen...don't get me wrong, the oldies (I class myself in this category) are just as eager to cure their acne but we seem a lot more at peace with ourselves.
I know this sounds a bit obvious - everyone is extremely self conscious in their teens and learn to live with their flaws a lot more when they are older and wiser...but I've also noticed that the desperation it is closely linked to depression, which is worrying. I completely remember feeling sooooooo nervous and anxious going out just because I had a few spots, I used to always think why me?!
I think I've grown out of this a little now...not that I'm happy about still getting spots when I'm officially out of puberty but I feel a lot calmer about it, it doesn't seem like a massive breakout is the end of the world anymore unless I let it be the end of the world. I don't really think why me, I think well there's got to be a reason for it, maybe I would have become a shallow narcissist if I hadn't gone through those years of suffering.
I guess I'm just writing this slightly philisophical stuff because I just think that younger people need a bit of hope. A lot of people come on this site just for a bit of reassurance and finding people they can relate to...and I just want to say that it does get better - your skin will clear but it might not...either way the horrible times you're going through now will prepare you for it and you'll learn to accept your flaws and you'll be surrounded by people that love you and don't care about your skin.
Some people will be lucky enough to find their cure or miracle product but most people won't...I hate the thought of acne holding people back from the things they want to do because I was exactly the same when I was younger and I just want to tell anyone in their teens that are struggling with acne the same thing I would tell my 14 year old self: stop being depressed the world is your oyster, stop caring what other people think because most people won't notice/ care and just live your life to the full, because although you can't really control your skin, you can control how you let it affect you.
I know this sounds a bit obvious - everyone is extremely self conscious in their teens and learn to live with their flaws a lot more when they are older and wiser...but I've also noticed that the desperation it is closely linked to depression, which is worrying. I completely remember feeling sooooooo nervous and anxious going out just because I had a few spots, I used to always think why me?!
I think I've grown out of this a little now...not that I'm happy about still getting spots when I'm officially out of puberty but I feel a lot calmer about it, it doesn't seem like a massive breakout is the end of the world anymore unless I let it be the end of the world. I don't really think why me, I think well there's got to be a reason for it, maybe I would have become a shallow narcissist if I hadn't gone through those years of suffering.
I guess I'm just writing this slightly philisophical stuff because I just think that younger people need a bit of hope. A lot of people come on this site just for a bit of reassurance and finding people they can relate to...and I just want to say that it does get better - your skin will clear but it might not...either way the horrible times you're going through now will prepare you for it and you'll learn to accept your flaws and you'll be surrounded by people that love you and don't care about your skin.
Some people will be lucky enough to find their cure or miracle product but most people won't...I hate the thought of acne holding people back from the things they want to do because I was exactly the same when I was younger and I just want to tell anyone in their teens that are struggling with acne the same thing I would tell my 14 year old self: stop being depressed the world is your oyster, stop caring what other people think because most people won't notice/ care and just live your life to the full, because although you can't really control your skin, you can control how you let it affect you.