Social Anxiety Support

wsxdrfvgy · 10-29-2009, 09:31 AM

I have had mild/moderate acne since I was 12 and I think this has largely contributed to my SA. Because of it, I have a very poor self image, I am extremely self conscious and I don't want people to look at me / be close to me. I always feel like they're staring in disgust at my face and am worried they'll point it out (as some do), so I just want to avoid them and not be seen. I have tried everything for it, but it just comes back. Many days, it is a major factor in my not wanting to go out. When my skin is clearer, I feel better about myself, but I still have my SA related issues. I think, that if I didn't have this, then I would be able to function a little better, but sometimes I think everyone always says that about something in their lives when it comes to SA.
I have met some people who have worse skin than mine and they are very sociable and extroverted, I guess if they don't have SA to begin with their issues with their acne can't feed into it.

How about you, fellow acne sufferers? How much do you feel like your acne contributes to your SA?

wsxdrfvgy · 10-29-2009, 09:37 AM

NB: I notice there is another thread for acne, but I'm not looking for treatment advice. I merely want to relate my emotional experience with acne and how I feel it contributes to my SA.

lde22 · 10-31-2009, 11:58 PM

Yeah I think having acne definitely makes SA worse. I have acne really bad on my chest and back (it's mostly scars now) and so I have never been comfortable with my shirt off, even in my own home around my parents. I also get fairly bad acne on my neck which annoys the hell out of me. I'm always self conscious about acne on my neck, I always feel like people are going to see it and think I'm ugly.

I think if I had perfectly clear healthy skin I would be less self conscious and my SA would be a little less, especially around women. Whenever I think about talking to a girl, I assume she will be totally turned off by my acne.

pita · 11-01-2009, 01:58 PM

It definitely makes my SA worse, even though my acne is relatively mild. When I'm around people with clear skin, I feel like they must be looking at me and thinking about how disgusting my face is. I hate being 25 and having worse skin than I did as a teenager.

mooncake · 11-01-2009, 02:14 PM

My skin problems are definately a major contributing factor to my SA. I have a very low level of self-confidence because of my acne scars and probably the hardest thing in regards to socialising, for me, is simply having to be looked at. If I were more confident in my looks, I'm sure I'd still have social problems admittedly, but I'm also sure things wouldn't be as difficult as they are now. Most of the time I simply don't go out because I just don't want to be seen by anyone, as ridiculous as it may sound.

I used to know a few people who were dealing with severe acne too, and yet they didn't (on the surface, at least) appear to let it bother them or get in the way of them socialising. I guess for me, I'm just not strong enough to go on regardless when I feel my scars are so apparent. I really wish I could just not care what I look like, accept that everyone has flaws and some of mine just happen to unfortunately be physically visible, but I don't seem to be able to put it completely to the back of my mind no matter how hard I try. On the rare occasion (or just in very dim lighting!) I feel I don't look too bad, I experience a notable burst of confidence and interacting becomes a lot easier for me.

Shadyman · 11-01-2009, 05:06 PM

I had VERY had acne going through my teens and it really made me feel bad about myself everyday. How I looked and how nasty it was, now most of it is gone and I am not at all that bad looking, but I still feel bad looking inside. It screwed me up during the school years. I think this is how my SA started and the root of my problem. I always look into mirrors when I go past them, ALWAYS, even in car windows..has to be a problem with my self image, I don't think my mind has accepted that my worst nightmare is over at least my skin, but another nightmare remains...one I can't wake from.

10-29-2009, 09:31 AM	#1 (permalink)
wsxdrfvgy Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Tbilisi Gender: Female Age: 24 Posts: 9	SA and Acne I have had mild/moderate acne since I was 12 and I think this has largely contributed to my SA. Because of it, I have a very poor self image, I am extremely self conscious and I don't want people to look at me / be close to me. I always feel like they're staring in disgust at my face and am worried they'll point it out (as some do), so I just want to avoid them and not be seen. I have tried everything for it, but it just comes back. Many days, it is a major factor in my not wanting to go out. When my skin is clearer, I feel better about myself, but I still have my SA related issues. I think, that if I didn't have this, then I would be able to function a little better, but sometimes I think everyone always says that about something in their lives when it comes to SA. I have met some people who have worse skin than mine and they are very sociable and extroverted, I guess if they don't have SA to begin with their issues with their acne can't feed into it. How about you, fellow acne sufferers? How much do you feel like your acne contributes to your SA?

10-29-2009, 09:37 AM	#2 (permalink)
wsxdrfvgy Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Tbilisi Gender: Female Age: 24 Posts: 9	NB: I notice there is another thread for acne, but I'm not looking for treatment advice. I merely want to relate my emotional experience with acne and how I feel it contributes to my SA.

10-31-2009, 11:58 PM	#3 (permalink)
lde22 Status: SAS Member Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Southern California Gender: Male Posts: 67	Yeah I think having acne definitely makes SA worse. I have acne really bad on my chest and back (it's mostly scars now) and so I have never been comfortable with my shirt off, even in my own home around my parents. I also get fairly bad acne on my neck which annoys the hell out of me. I'm always self conscious about acne on my neck, I always feel like people are going to see it and think I'm ugly. I think if I had perfectly clear healthy skin I would be less self conscious and my SA would be a little less, especially around women. Whenever I think about talking to a girl, I assume she will be totally turned off by my acne.

11-01-2009, 01:58 PM	#4 (permalink)
pita Status: SAS Member Join Date: Jan 2004 Gender: Female Posts: 2,168	It definitely makes my SA worse, even though my acne is relatively mild. When I'm around people with clear skin, I feel like they must be looking at me and thinking about how disgusting my face is. I hate being 25 and having worse skin than I did as a teenager.

11-01-2009, 02:14 PM	#5 (permalink)
mooncake Status: wooden hippie nice Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Gender: Female Age: 20 Posts: 190	My skin problems are definately a major contributing factor to my SA. I have a very low level of self-confidence because of my acne scars and probably the hardest thing in regards to socialising, for me, is simply having to be looked at. If I were more confident in my looks, I'm sure I'd still have social problems admittedly, but I'm also sure things wouldn't be as difficult as they are now. Most of the time I simply don't go out because I just don't want to be seen by anyone, as ridiculous as it may sound. I used to know a few people who were dealing with severe acne too, and yet they didn't (on the surface, at least) appear to let it bother them or get in the way of them socialising. I guess for me, I'm just not strong enough to go on regardless when I feel my scars are so apparent. I really wish I could just not care what I look like, accept that everyone has flaws and some of mine just happen to unfortunately be physically visible, but I don't seem to be able to put it completely to the back of my mind no matter how hard I try. On the rare occasion (or just in very dim lighting!) I feel I don't look too bad, I experience a notable burst of confidence and interacting becomes a lot easier for me.

11-01-2009, 05:06 PM	#6 (permalink)
Shadyman Status: The New Guy Join Date: Aug 2009 Location: Indiana Gender: Male Age: 20 Posts: 48	I had VERY had acne going through my teens and it really made me feel bad about myself everyday. How I looked and how nasty it was, now most of it is gone and I am not at all that bad looking, but I still feel bad looking inside. It screwed me up during the school years. I think this is how my SA started and the root of my problem. I always look into mirrors when I go past them, ALWAYS, even in car windows..has to be a problem with my self image, I don't think my mind has accepted that my worst nightmare is over at least my skin, but another nightmare remains...one I can't wake from.