Being Different Is Painful revolves around a young gay man named Patrick who struggles with ‎acceptance from his peers and understanding his sexuality. The story begins with an event of ‎hopelessness as Patrick goes through a life-threatening attempt at suicide. He then voluntarily ‎admits himself for treatment to a mental health hospital where he tries to come to terms with why ‎he would want to hurt himself. Earlier in junior high school, he found himself struggling to cope ‎with bullies who ridiculed him to the point of self-destruction. At the same time, he was continually ‎shielding himself from a couple of abusive family members. While in the mental health facility, ‎Patrick discovers who he is, but finds it hard to accept himself, as he suffered from years of shame. ‎Once out of the hospital, Patrick made a couple of friends, and with their help, self-discovery came ‎easier. Now embracing his true self, he misinterprets the signals of his one true obsession, Wayne. ‎Sadly, Patrick realized what he wanted too late and neglected to notice that others around him were ‎in more pain than he was. ‎

WARNING
The following story contains content that could be construed as disturbing. This is a contemporary ‎gay novel, which deals with issues such as self-harm, suicide, violence, bullying, and sexually ‎intimate behaviours. Personally, this writer believes the story to be PG 13.‎