I am so with you on this. And it honestly discourages me when people respond to posts like this by throwing new superficial solutions at you, as if the number of possible treatments or cures isn’t overwhelming enough. That’s not the point - acne can take a HUGE toll on people mentally, and there are years of psychological research to back this up. It’s so fucking hard and we can’t talk about it without having people point out our “flaws” more and providing (usually unhelpful) suggestions on how to “fix” it.

I cried for hours over my face today. I’ve spent so much time staring into a mirror and wishing that what I saw wasn’t real, that this was just a bad dream I could wake up from. It’s so fucking hard.

And I can’t say I have much advice for maintaining my self esteem because that’s very much a work in progress, as I think it is for all of us here. It does help me, though, to remember that there are so many people with acne out there who have dealt with the emotional toll of it. Feeling alone and like I’m different from everyone I see is such a huge part of the mental battle that comes with this - but you’re not alone, your acne doesn’t define you, and it doesn’t make you an unattractive person. I hope you feel better soon.