Skin Picking
Hey guys!
I wanted to reach out and see if anyone else struggles with picking stims, and what I can do to help. I have always been someone who picks at my skin, almost constantly. Whether it's picking/biting my nails, picking bumps on my face, bumps on my arms, picking the nails and skin on my toes, feeling for imperfections on my scalp.... all of it.
My therapist has let me know that it's very likely I have AuDHD, which comes with a lot of learning. But I'm not sure if I do this because of tactile stimming, or if it's just anxiety? Or maybe OCD? Whatever reason I do this, I really have a hard time stopping, and sometimes end up hurting myself. Yesterday my dermatologist said he had never seen anyone do this, and it made me feel very ashamed and embarrassed.
Does anyone else do this? Is there any advice on how to stop?
@RadRazzberry8076. I find it helpful to use a nail buffer or a small squeeze ball to keep my fingers busy.
@RadRazzberry8076 aaaa I'm so happy someone brought something like this up! It's not a very well known thing, but there is a disorder called a BFRB (Body Focused Repetitive Behavior), it's sort of a cousin to OCD. It can consist of different things for different people, but I was specifically diagnosed with the skin picking type (I tend to pick at skin around my nails and occasionally other places), which sounds very similar to what you have! Here's a link that explains it more in depth. https://www.bfrb.org/your-journey/what-is-a-bfrb
But don't worry, it's absolutely nothing to be embarrassed about. Although it is rarely diagnosed, (I'd recommend a neuropsychological analysis for this type of disorder if you'd like a diagnosis) you are not alone, and skin picking is nothing to be ashamed of; it's something you can't control. Won't lie, I'm not sure of any solutions, I'm still struggling with this myself, but from what I've read, solutions can be anything from meds to therapy/coping strategies. BFRBs are very personal and figuring out about your habits can help you figure out how you can treat it :) I hope this helped! <3
Thank you so much! This made me feel much better about it. I always feel very embarrassed and ashamed of it. I always cover my skin up as much as possible, and I've been called 'bandaid fingers' before (original, I know). It's something I really wish I could stop doing for many reasons. I even have a habit tracker for rewarding myself on days I go to bed without pain lol it's so hard to control it, especially when you do it subconsciously. I am definitely going to look into this more, so thank you so so much for your help!
@RadRazzberry8076 ofc! i'm glad I could help :)
I pick and bite my fingers/nails. I really want to stop, especially when I'm conscious of doing it and still struggle to not do it. I think it's from a mix of anxiety (stress) and boredom (like a long drive in the car, I'll start biting.)