Lynnette

​

After a conversation with my bestie the other night I've had a lot on my mind. Long story short, I'm almost 40, hs presented at puberty but I wasn't officially diagnosed until last year (that's about 30 years if you're counting).

I honestly wonder if doctors realize the impact their words have on us. After battling for a decade, I got the courage to ask a doctor about my skin. They told me it was because I was fat and didn't wash well enough. Ok, I get it; 20 years ago there was much less awareness and knowledge than there is now. Mind you, this also prevented me from seeking treatment for almost 20 years because I believed there was nothing I could do and just had to live with it. At least until I went to the ER due to extreme pain and was finally diagnosed.

​

But I also have to wonder how much of my current mental illness (depression & anxiety) stems from me believing that my skin issues were my fault because I was fat and dirty.

 

How much of my self worth disappeared because of these words?

 

How much different would my mind and life be if I was told 20 years ago that it's NOT my fault?

 

How many tears would I have saved? How much heartache would I have saved myself from had I not been seeking validation from others?

​

I think we all need to remember that words can have unintended consequences. Be kind whenever possible and be silent when you can't. The world is hurting enough as it is, let's not add to it.

​