Many acne sufferers tend to isolate themselves from society and purposely chose not to socialize with their friends. Why? Because acne sufferers are plagued with feelings of depression, embarrassment and have a poor body image. This then leads to frustration, anger and severe depression. These negative psychological effects can have a very crippling impact on an individual's social life, which in turn will discourage them from pursuing life’s opportunities socially, scholastically and even in the work force. Depression caused by acne can lead to low self esteem, causing sufferers to purposely miss dates, social gatherings, classes, job interviews and even work.
Psychological Impact
Although acne is not considered to be a life threatening disorder, its psychological effects can be quite profound as acne affects the most visible parts of your body. The psychological effects of acne have only come to light in recent years. Fact: The psychological scarring caused by acne can last forever, so it is a very important topic to explore. Note that the severity of acne can also be measured by its effect on an acne sufferer's emotional and social life.
How to Help
Now that we’ve established that acne blemishes, cysts, etc. can be very damaging to the psyche, especially during the teenage years, which is when the formation of an individual undergoes so many important changes, what can be done to prevent this. After all, we are talking about some serious dismantling conditions that may lead to depressive disorders, academic decline, social isolation, substance abuse and even suicide.
What to do? The first step an Acne sufferer must take is to come to terms with his or her condition. It will have a negative impact on your life because our society judges us by our appearance. The trick is that an acne sufferer does not need to face this alone. Think about the numbers mentioned in the home page “Acne affects about 80% of all adolescents”. That means that eight out of every ten people around you is or has had to battle with acne and its negative social impacts. So don’t be shy to inform and involve people you come into contact with to prevent the psychological scarring from becoming permanent.
Your entire family, teachers, coaches and doctors all must have a better understanding of the effects acne is having on you. This may seem like an awkward and difficult task, but you will be surprised by how understanding and compassionate others will be towards your situation. If you feel too shy to bring it up in conversation, then print up this page and leave it on your teacher’s or coach’s desk and/or have your friends and family read it. Send them the link to this page. This will instigate both understanding, support and open communication on something that should not be kept secret. Let the people that you love or come into contact with on a regular basis know how your acne makes you feel.
You may also want to discuss the myths and realities associated with acne with the people you have chosen to consult or talk about your acne. Be sure that they understand that it is not due to poor dietary habits, poor personal hygiene, or anything else which may lead to the idea that it is your fault that you have acne. People need to know that acne is not your fault. A supportive family, supportive friends and even a supportive coach or teacher will help you to no end in maintaining your self esteem. I cannot stress this enough.
Support, current information, and the proper acne control treatment regime are all a must when faced with this skin disorder.
