Comments on: Anxiety, depression and being obsessed with your skin

By: Nicolas

Nicolas — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 13:24:10 +0000

Hey Christine, hang in there. Like you, there are many of us that have become angry at this condition for taking over our lives. But, as you can tell, a whole lot of us feel the way you do. Try to find solice in realizing that the people that truly undertsand you, perhaps the only people, reside in these forums. I’m convinced our appearance is never going to change. We have to change our mindset. We have to accept the way we look, even if we’ve been ridiculed, even if we still are stared at and talked about. You have friends, look for them in rosacea forums.

By: Christine Liu

Christine Liu — Mon, 30 May 2011 08:30:53 +0000

I chanced upon this website when i am searching for articles on depression. I am scared after reading this article because i can see myself in this poor lady’s shoe. I am really afraid that sooner or later i will follow her step. I have lived for 22 years, but i have not enjoyed even a single day of confidence and happiness. My skin problem started off with pimple-prone skin to oily, large pores, rosacea condition. And what’s worst, i have inherited body skin problem (black spots of pigmentations and scaly skin.) Because of this i always wear long pants, never in my life have i tried wearing shorts. My self-esteem is gone, i refused to go out cause i hate to see ladies with good skin i hate to show myself infront of the public. As a result, i have not much socialise, no friends, no love. To make matter worst, i have a body that perspires easily like hell with the nose perspiring showing so droplets always. I dont know in what way does i look like a lady? I am really depressed, i saved money on food and daily expenses just to spend it to seek for cure but it end up i am just a stupid fool for letting people sucks my money and made my face worsened. I literally give up hope, my mum always tell me that i will be cured but i know its impossible, i will never turn pretty and confidence in my whole life. Sometimes i try to console myself, of course, i am not the most pathetic soul in this world, but i dont know how to carry on my life with this type of inner self. Moreover, my family’s problems add on to my sufferings, what is family’s warmth? Fighting? Quarrelling? I hate it when my parents insisted i should study well but never even bothered how depressed i am. But i guess nobody understands. Why am i born? i am really afraid that sooner or later i will let depression take over me and end my life, i hate living in this world but i dont want to hurt my family even though i hate this family. Contradicting right? Is there an angel in this world? Really i dont mind shortening my life if i am given a chance to taste the feeling of being confidence, pretty, love and family’s warmth.

By: Mitzy

Mitzy — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 07:17:18 +0000

I have severe Rosacea. I burn all day long. It is so uncomfortable I can’t stand it.
My Rosacea started when my husband got called up for Iraq. The rosacea is horrible. It has ruined my life. I’m too tired and exhausted. I have fibro also. I have anxiety/panic attacks everyday. My face burns all over the skin. I’m always on fire feeling. I have flushing. It affects everyday and second of my life. I wish this stress did not do this to me. I tried the meds. They just make it feel worse. So I don’t put anything on my face from the doctors.

By: Jo

Jo — Sat, 05 Feb 2011 08:57:28 +0000

Hi everyone,

I feel so sorry for anyone who has to live with this disease. I know firsthand what it can do to you both mentally and physically. And I agree with the above posts that mentioned that unless you suffer from it, you cannot truly know what it’s like to try to live with. I started having serve flushing episodes as a 15 year old sophomore in high school. My face would literally swell and you could feel the heat from my face. My classmates and friends would look at me with absolute horror and constantly ask me what was wrong with my face..Why are you so RED? Oh my god, your face??! It was so horrifying and traumatic pretty soon I was trying to avoid ANY events that might cause me to have another episode. The consequences from it are so numbered that I cannot even begin to scratch the surface. It made me have intense bouts of depression and I cut off any social events and would make so many excuses to avoid doing class presentations etc. That is not the kind of person I am/was.. But I became that and I sometimes wonder what kind of person I would be today if I didn’t have this disease. I still suffer from the feelings of hopelessness. I have tried to stay positive and honestly, reading these posts from you all helps me because I know that there are people out there that have gone through this and who truly understand what it is like. Lets hang in there together

By: Mini

Mini — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 22:20:30 +0000

Hello Everyone,

I, like the rest of you, feel the pain of that woman. It is so sad and hurtful. I have been struggling with rosacea and sebhorric dermatitis for 10 years now. As you all know it is sooo frustrating. I have fallen into depressions and am currently in a depression again. I have tried anything and everything. It has gotten better but I still have my bad days. The cold weather makes it really bad. I am sooo exhausted and pretty much losing faith because nothing can cure these horrid chronic diseases. I feel sooo paralyzed. The worst part of it all is that I triggered these diseases by doing electrolosys. But I can’t do anything about that now. I really hope and pray for all of us that one day there will be some cure out there. I dunno how much longer I can continue living like this.

By: marmaladegal

marmaladegal — Sun, 17 Oct 2010 05:07:36 +0000

Imperceptible blemishes! Well, that’s not what my rosacea looks like. I bet hers didn’t either…and I bet it didn’t feel “imperceptible” either.

The condescending tone of this article made me so angry, and it was a relief to hear my fellow rosacea sufferers tell the truth about what it is really like to live with this disease…it can be very limiting and painful, not to mention disfiguring. I used to be outdoorsy but now I have to avoid the sun as much as possible. I used to love car trips but now my face starts to burn and itch and turn bright red and bumpy unless the AC is going full blast right on it. And I recently developed severe ocular rosacea, and I am terrified of losing my eyesight. I wake up several times every night with my eyes so dry and gritty that I cannot open them. The drops are not helping so I am facing surgery.

By: Mike

Mike — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 10:12:11 +0000

Hi Jane

I can totally identify and empathise with you.
Overheated cars from sun and hot aircon are
big triggers for me for flushing and so i dont
go out much in them except when i have to.
I cant drive anyway so im always a passenger and try to
stay on the shady side or in the middle in the back when i can and put my hat up to block direct sunlight
when its coming in at a lower angle.

I still use a sunbrella every time i have to go outside
to help keep some direct overhead radiant heat off
me, but in Austalia its very hard with warm to hot air
one moment and cool to cold air the next, both inside and outside.. both day and night.!

I have had two laser treatments with the candela v
beam laser which is supposed to be good but it does
not seem to have helped me much, if at all, about 5 years ago. I did have the copper vapour laser done back in 1991, but a very mild patch test only.
I had the v beam done for free at the time, as the dermo did it in the hosptital but then no longer .
I would have to pay for any further treatmens in his
clinic which i think is wrong, as its purely on medical
grounds that neuropathic rosaceans have it done in the end and the any cosmetic beneft is an added bonus.

I still have to ascertain all the pros and cons of lasers
and IPL teatments and whether one is really any better
than the other. there are so many variables involved
and i wouldnt go to any one except a doctor/dermo well trained in it.!
Not these often incompetent & ignorant other people in the beauty/cosmetic salons & clinics.

If you would like my email, then please let me know.

best regards Mike Briggs

By: Jane

Jane — Sat, 25 Sep 2010 09:22:19 +0000

It’s Jane back again. I had a really horrible day today. I find cars really hard to cope with when you are a passenger. I had a major flush today because of being in a car with no circulating air. That triggered off my anxiety to go through the roof and it took me ages to calm myelf down when I got home. Is IPL better or laser do you think? I think it is the deeper feeder vessels which need to be addressed. I just don’t cope well after treatments emotionally. I have tried to explain this to everyone who I have consulted in the past for treatment. Once you walk out the door, that is where the real battle begins. Does anyone agree with that?

By: Mike

Mike — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 11:20:45 +0000

I am still trying to cope living with severe neuropathic
rosacea for the last 8 years now.
I have had rosacea since about age 24 and it has just
continued to progress over the last 20 years.

I also avoid the sun at all costs because of the heat and
and the uv rays that contribute to skin ageing and skin cancer in this harsh aussie climate.

I now use a sunbrella for heat reduction when i have to go outdoors, as well as it being UV protective. I dont
use suncreens for some time now either, as i dont trust
them and they also irritate my skin and other ones are
hard to apply to my very delicate facial skin.
I dont bother with broad rimmed hats much now as the
heat from the sun is still just too much when the sun is lower at certain times of the day.

It is often very difficult living with this horrid, relentless
condition and it is certainly very easy to become very
preoccupied with it, to the point where it becomes all consuming and dominating every aspect of one’s life.
For anyone to say that any psychological problems
that arise from this painful scourge are easily treatable is either an ignorant fool or simpy just plain uncaring.

My heart goes out to all my fellow Rosaceans, including
those that have posted in this thread before me.
I can identify with everything each one of you have
said in your posts above.

Patience, perserverance, persistence..hopefully one day just peace and no pain!

By: Brendan

Brendan — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 12:34:20 +0000

I know what a pain in the ass rosacea can be. Mine actually became less noticable when I got into my mid twenties so it can fade out over the years. I am pretty sure it’s because I became more relaxed about it and life in general that made my skin calm down. I still have it but less than before. Food is a huge factor. Every rosacean MUST check out what foods and conditions trigger their skin. Alcohol, spicy food,chocolate and all SUNSHINE should be avoided. Although I do sometimes enjoy a drink, I cut down a lot. The sun is the worst though, even one minute, yes 60 seconds, in the sun makes my skin go bright pink for hours, horrid! I wear a hoodie in ther Summer (I get some rather odd looks (: I block out the sun with a newspaper or magazine sometimes. I don’t care if strangers stare as I would rather that then be bright pink. Different people are affected by different foods. Do a google search using the words rosacea and food. You will find lists of different foods that are common agitators. Try avoiding some of the common agitators for a while a see which ones affect your skin. Soda’s trigger my skin too, I love soda! It’s not fair!! (: Oh and drink loads of water every day. Chin up all! Life is still good