Acne is not to be laughed at *warning includes rant*

I have acne.  The big cystic kind.  I get them on my chin and when I do it causes my face to swell from my ear, along my jaw-line to my chin.  I have to take antibiotics when I get one and it makes eating, drinking and talking excruciating.  I cannot begin to tell you what it does for my confidence and self-esteem (or lack of) when I have to go out with my face swollen up.

I have a whole other post in my mind about this topic, some things I'd like to share about my acne journey.  But for tonight I have a rant.

I was mooching about on Facebook when I came across a post of someone who had taken a picture of themselves, and then used one of those apps to distort it.  You know the type, where it stretches and twists you into a caricature of yourself?  Only this one imposed big blistering spots all over the face.  Huge red cysts.  As if that wasn't bad enough, the number of people who had 'liked' and commented laughing and joking about it was incredible.

I wanted to shout, 'No, you have no idea what that is like in reality.  I have that.  It is painful, it hurts physically and mentally, and it is NOT something to be laughed at'. 

And I'm afraid I'm going to get more ranty now.  Why is it that acne is an ailment that people feel it is ok to laugh and joke about?  I don't see anyone distorting their face with 'eczema-app' or 'psoriasis-app' (both of which members of my family have).  No, I don't see that because it would be cruel and unkind.  Why then is it ok to make fun of acne? 

One comment said 'Ha ha looks as though you've been on the wine/chocolate!'.  Wine and chocolate?  Oh right, is that all I have to do to stop getting acne then?  So it is a result of that is it?  It is totally self-inflicted is it?  Or is it something that no matter what food stuff I cut out, no matter how many pints of water I drink a day, no matter how much exercise I do and how I try to manage my stress, I STILL get? 

OK, and breathe.  Apologies my dear reader, I don't mean to get all shouty about it.  I guess I am upset and hurt, that one of my Facebook 'friends' posted this, that another laughed and commented, that people joked about it, and that acne still seems to be one of the last ailments that people feel free and able to make fun of. 

Enough of the ranting, I'm off to 'hide' some statuses....