21yrs old, worst acne

1. Describe your main suffering?
I have acne all over my face which does not seem to go away, although I try most common suggestions. I had acne as a teenager, moderately bad, perhaps since I was about 13, but in the past year or so (especially the past month) it has gotten horrible. Some deep, cystic. I clean my face daily with anti-acne (salycylic and benzoyl peroxide) scrub, I have also used just Dr Bronners tea tree w/Cetaphil before, but it hasn't improved much when I used that either (maybe a tiny bit). The benzoyl seems to help a very small amount, but not significantly. I have also tried nelson's organic acne gel w/ calendula. Yet it persists..

2. What other physical sufferings do you have in your body?
None really, sometimes light fatigue, but I think this is related to whenever I don't get enough sleep or drink enough water, or am bored. I get a couple dark hairs on my chin, but I had stitches there when I was younger. I have been taking Vitamin E and Fish oil supplements in case it is a hormonal imbalance, but no result.
My period is very irregular also, which doesn't bother me, but perhaps may be related. I travelled for 9months out of the year & also quit the pill a year ago, so I think that is a separate thing.

3. What mental sufferings / feelings do you have associated with your physical sufferings?
It gives me a social anxiety, I probably think they are disgusted when they look at me. I can never touch my face, which makes me more self conscious and less 'flowy' relaxed, knowing I can't forget about the 'don't touch your face!' thing

4. What exactly do you feel when you are at your worst? Describe the sensation in your own words.
My face feels sore and inflammed, skin is all oily no matter how I wash/lotion it. It's like I can feel the inflammation, oil, and bacteria on my skin as layer over it.

5. When did it all start? Can you connect it to any past event or disease?
It started in puberty, and it was bad enough for me to get down about it, as teenagers do. But it wasn't too bad compared with this! I was on the pill from when I was 17or18 until a year ago (20). Now I am 21, it's been a year, but getting worse. While on the pill, it was better than it is now, but it was still quite present.

6. Which time of the day you are worst?
At night. Even after I wash my face, it gets oily quickly. Mornings are best because I am fresh from sleep.

7. What are the things which aggravate your suffering and which are those which ameliorate the same? Example- time, temperature, pressure, rubbing, washing, eating, tight clothing etc.
Stressful situations which require me to be do a lot of things with urgent deadlines and dependence on them (for example if I missed a flight and had to rebook, making time to catch another connecting flight). Coffee aggravates it, so I don't drink coffee. Just tea here or there. Full sleep helps improve the condition. I went to Burning Man (Nevada desert for 1 week in September) and I remember that my skin was glowing. I didn't really drink more water than usual either - I try to drink plenty of water. Perhaps it was the beautiful spiritual experiences I was having - But I am generally quite spiritual, happy, and relaxed all the time. I'm not really a stresser.


8. Do your think your sufferings have relation to any external stimuli (like, change of place) or any internal biological changes in the body, like, menses (in females)?
No idea.. I did quit the pill a year ago. For most of this year, I was travelling around the country. Hitchhiking and meeting awesome people, and doing a lot of things I always wanted to do, but I was never really stressed. I think the physical changes inherent in this + going off the pill is what caused me to miss so many periods, but I don't see how this is related to acne. And even when I was on the pill, I still had acne.

9. When do you feel better, during hot weather or cold weather, humid or dry weather?
Hot weather definitely. I like humid more because things are lush. I am drawn to the southern rain forests..

10. Describe your general mental set up? Are you Moody, Arrogant, Mild, Agreeable Changeable, Nervous, Suspicious, Easily offended, Quiet, Arguing, Irritating, Lazy etc.
I am usually quite happy, I love life, I like to laugh and be silly, and bring humour into people who seem too reserved! I feel balanced although sometimes I probably make too much to do for myself. I am agreeable and get along with most people, except clearly conceited & fake people who put on a front. However I do get social anxiety sometimes, especially around people I think are so awesome - sometimes it traps me bad. But this doesn't happen often that I meet someone who really blows my mind in that way.

- How do you feel before or during a thunderstorm?
I love thunderstorms. Rain in general feels like a good atmosphere to me (well, in the summer or warm areas!)

- Do you like being consoled during your tough times?
Yes, they usually don't last long, but I like to have someone to let things out with, or just know is there for me.

- Are you sensitive to external stimuli like smell, noise, light etc?
Not really.. sometimes synthetic fragrances and loud screaming toddlers irritate me. I can't fall asleep with music on because I tend to listen to it.

- Do you have any typical habit or gesture like nail biting, causeless
Weeping, talking to one self etc?
Not really.. occassionally throughout the day I brush my face with fabric in subconscious attempt to blot the oil off.

- How do you feel about your friends, family, your children and especially your husband / wife?
I love my friends, I don't have too many but some real keepers. I lost the closeness with my old friends in the past few years as life goes on and I started living my dreams (it seems unhappy or stuck people don't want to hear about it.) But I met some new people who are so awesome, we will be friends forever & go to S.America to travel for yrs. I love my family too. I don't have a significant other, although I do have a guy friend that I am semi romantically involved with (but not sexually) - we respect each other too much as friends to make it sexual, but we snuggle and such sometimes. It's a very positive relationship, we are always there for each other but without the implications of a relationship. I do open relationships anyway, and have had 3-4 lovers at different times in the past year (all of whom I remain friends with but don't get to see very often due to geography)

11. What are your fears and do you dream of any situation repeatedly?
I used to be worried about wasting my time in life,and not doing all the awesome things I wanted to do, but in the past year I stopped being afraid and went for it.. Now I don't have many fears. I probably think too much, especially about certain social situations (speech practicing in my head) Earlier in the year I dreamt some obvious examples of my old friends no longer being anywhere near close with me.. (Ie. 'You're not vegetarian anymore? That was the last thing we had in common!') But I think I've accepted it now.


12. What do you crave for in food items and what are your aversions?
Somehow I knew that food was coming next, after I mentioned vegetarianism.. So yes I don't eat meat. I generally avoid milk &cheese but do eat eggs. I avoid processed foods, I try to add grains like black rice, and try to add kombucha and 'green' plant/algae supplements, etc when I can which is not often. I've been craving fruits lately such as mango, all berries. Probably because it is winter and they are not in season. I like smoothies and thick juice. I enjoy sushi. I like some veggies like spinach but usually don't know how to incorporate them into a good dish.

13. How is your thirst: Less, Normal or Excessive?
Normal, but I tend to drink more out of habit. I like to have a glass near me most of the time.

14. How is your hunger: Less, Normal or Excessive?
Lately it has been less. But I am no longer on the road, and I am small framed, don't require a lot.

15. Is there any kind of food which your body can’t stand?
I hate anise/licorice.

16. Is your sweat normal or less or more? Where does it sweat more: Head, Trunk or Limbs?
It's normal unless I get into a nervous social situation, or drank some coffee. When nervous, I tend to sweat in the pits and sometimes hands.

17. How is your bowel movement and stool type?
It's pretty normal, it varies from hard/softer but usually not uncomfortable or anything

18. How well do you sleep? Do you have a particular posture of sleeping?
I always end up staying up late, even when I am tired. I sleep a normal 8-9hrs, on either side of my body. I sleep well, and usually fall asleep fairly quick unless something's on my mind.

19. Do you think you are able to satisfy your sexual desires in general?
Yes, mostly, I am really not too interested, probably because I don't know many guys who are worth sleeping with, and I no longer care for flings with people I'm not really interested in

20. Do you have any strange, peculiar or unusual symptom or feelings? How are you different from others?
Sometimes I have moments of pure intuition, when I know something is going to happen, even though logic defies the probabilities. This usually comes to me when I am not focusing on it. For example, yesterday I thought of a friend i haven't talked to for several months, and thought 'He's going to call me' with no reasoning why that popped into my head. The next day he called. Or while hitchhiking, 'the next car is going to pick us up' out of the blue. And then it does.
I am different from other people in that I have fervent passion and interest in so many things, and I love to learn about and pursue them, instead of saying 'that would be cool.' Someone also said yesterday that I have interest and find joy in the smallest of things and interactions

21. What medications have been taken earlier by you to treat the diseases and do you have any particular symptom surfacing after the medication?
See the first question..

22. What major diseases are running in your family?
My grandma had a stroke, and my mother has hi blood pressure. However, mine is quite low. My dad, and his dad, got irritable, particular, depressed, and stagnant in later life, although not too extreme. My older brother has acne too.

23. Describe, how do you look like? Describe your overall appearance.
5'5,117 lbs, normal healthy weight for a thinner frame,my shoulders are wider than my hips, fair skin with a dry/oily combination, blonde hair, blue/green eyes, caucasian with some blueish undertones (like under my eyes) I think I look good, aside from acne (which is a big deal)

(For Females)
24. If your menstrual cycles are not normal, please describe the irregularities, like pains, moods, flow type, clots etc.
Before the pill, I was mostly regular, missed one here or there occassionally. Went on the pill for ~3 yrs, was regular then. I got off the pill a yr ago, i had a period then it took like 3 months to come again (got scared I was pregnant :P), then went travelling, and I've only had it a few times in the past year. So not very common, but still present. When it happens, it's normal/somewhat light flow, probably about 4-5days.Haven't had it in just over a month so I'm thinking it's taking a pass this time too. I thought this was due to my constant travelling, but now that I've been home for a month, who knows? But I only quit the pill a yr ago too..
Also I have noticed that when I have sex, I usually have my period afterwards, like within that cycle. But when I masturbate I don't get that effect. Only after something is inside of me..

25. What major diseases have you had in your life and when. Please write them in a chronological manner.
I don't think i have had any diseases. I was depressed as a teenager for a long time.. But I haven't been depressed for yrs now..

Thank you SOO MUCH ~~ blessings