On the surface, I wanted someone to tell me the truth, but on a deeper level I longed for connection. I needed someone to bond with, someone who understood how it felt like to have a “world war two” happen on your face because to me that meant I wasn’t alone. The few times I was able to share my frustrations with someone, even if that person only had one pimple, were the times when I felt the most comforted. 

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When I struggled with acne, I was trapped in my own consciousness. I only listened to the negative voices in my head and I ignored the reassuring voices from those I valued. I thought all the “Oh it will get better” and “Oh it's not even that bad” were lies as all I could see was how bad my skin was. I knew they had good intentions and I appreciated their support but deep down all I wanted was for someone to validate the voices in my head so I could feel less crazy or overdramatic. So thank you to my younger sister, Madee, for giving me that validation I needed with your candid comment of  “World War Two happened on your face.”