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Life With Acne
Acne is a skin disease that affects more than 17 million
individuals in the United States alone. Three out of four
teenagers suffer from some form of acne. The possibility of
severe psychiatric and psychological complications affects
many individuals suffering from acne, while affecting a
person’s quality of life in a negative manner. Psychiatric and
psychological complications are not a serious problem for
many of the individuals suffering from acne, but there are
enough individuals with these conditions to be alert to the
symptoms. This is not a disease that limits itself to the skin
only.
If you are suffering from severe acne, be alert to the following
symptoms. Seek medical help if you recognize any of these
symptoms in your life or the life of someone you know.
Depression
Depression caused by acne affects how you feel, think, and
act. There are many symptoms of depression with the most
common being:
- A change in appetite that results in weight loss
- Sleeping a lot or not sleeping at all
- Tired all of the time
- Irritable
- Having a feeling of worthlessness
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Thoughts of suicide
You may become depressed when your acne is severe,
causing scars and not responding to treatment. You should
share with your doctor how your acne has affected you
emotionally.
Social Phobia
Acne may cause you to become so excessively self-conscious
that you fear being around other people. The symptoms of
social phobia are an overwhelming anxiety of fear that others
are looking at you and judging you. Embarrassed or
humiliated by your looks will interfere with everyday activities.
Dreading and worrying about upcoming events in your life will
take a toll on your health.
Social Phobia is not something that is easily controlled by
you. Please share with your doctor if you have any of these
symptoms.
Anxiety Disorders
Severe acne can lead to stress, which in turn leads to anxiety
disorders. As with social phobia, anxiety disorders have many
of the same symptoms. The important factor to remember is
that it is treatable and if not treated can lead to poor
performance in school, poor social skills, and you are more
vulnerable to substance abuse.
As a teenager, social anxiety disorder resembles severe
shyness and may not be recognized as a problem. The
symptoms of social anxiety are an intense fear of social
interactions, avoiding friends and conversations, looking down
while speaking to someone, isolating yourself from others,
excessively concerned with what others think about you.
Impaired Self-image and Self-esteem
Are you constantly putting yourself down? Society today is all
about the perfect look. The problem with this view is that no
one has the perfect look. As a teenager your body is
changing rapidly with many hormonal changes affecting your
entire body. Acne is a result of some of those changes. You
may not be responding to treatment and have allowed yourself
to think less of yourself than you should. There are so many
internal and external factors in developing a healthy self-
esteem.
You are in control of your self-esteem. There are many good
things about yourself and you need to concentrate on those
attributes instead of those areas that you are not happy with.
You may need to talk with your doctor if you feel that you are
unable to develop a healthy self-esteem on your own.
Social Dysfunction
Social dysfunction is the umbrella of all of the above
conditions. If you are suffering from severe acne and find
yourself retreating from others and suffering from the
symptoms of depression, it is important that you consult your
doctor immediately. Acne is not always a skin disease; it can
turn into a psychiatric and psychological disease. Stop it
before your quality of life is affected.
Life with acne is not always an easy life. If you are not careful
it may reduce your quality of life. When your acne becomes
more than you can handle emotionally, your quality of life
deteriorates. Acne controls you when it is all you think about.
Gaining control may not be easy for you. Seek help when
your emotional life is in turmoil. If you are a teenager, your
parents may not understand how you feel and may not
sympathize with you. If you are an adult suffering with adult
acne, you are at greater risk of suffering from these
symptoms.
Your first step toward a better life with acne is getting
professional help when you are suffering from any of the
symptoms in this article.
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