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.