i do not self harm, but i pick relentlessly at anything
While that might not be the same thing i do not know where else to post this. I am in no way trying to compare or discount what you, the reader of this may be going through, I am just looking for help and understanding. I pick at every cut, scratch, pimple, anything. I cannot help myself. And today I have something new to pick at that I do not want too!! I had oral surgery, a tooth extracted and I want to pick at it sooo bad, I had complications already wound up back at urgent care got a shot in the arse and stronger antibiotics, but I can see the stitches, i think i can see something else, i just want to pick at it. I know I really should not at all, that I would most likely make it worse... and maybe just maybe writing this post will help. But will it help at the hour that the desire to pick and prod and poke is overwhelming?? It kinda hurts right now, maybe something is in there, that if i could just see, and remove it would feel better. I have many scars from previous picking, and i tend to scar very easily anyway...
Does anyone have any suggestions for distraction for when the desire, or urge is at its peak? thank you for taking the time to read this
What about doing something to keep your hands busy?? Playdoh, stress ball, writing, drawing. You don't want to pick at that site. You could potentially end up with a severe infection. Not just at the site but could go thru the blood stream. Do anything you can do to not pick there.
@mistpete75 great ideas on alternative!!!
It seems that you, like me, suffer from dermatillomania (I discovered this definition thanks to a youtube video made by Kiera Rose). I have this problem since I was about 12 (now I'm 23), but I started to realize it's a real problem just recently... To reduce it I try to put a timer every time I wash myself or do anything beauty-related (so that I can't use my time to torture my skin since I have to hurry up), stay far from the mirror (the less you see the less you touch... Even if sometimes you touch without watching) and using a tangle toy to keep my hands busy. Hope it helps!
Suffering is permanent, obscure, dark, and shares the nature of infinity
I struggle with this too. I've tried fake nails. And super short nails. But it's my magnified mirror and my tools. It's so compulsive I'm dreading showering later. That's when I pick most. I haven't tried it but a spinner ring (a double banded ring kinda where the outside can spin) I hear is a good fidget item
I'm the same way, it drives me crazy and I've wondered too if it's a form of self harm. I have complexion issues on my back and shoulders and I'm constantly looking down my arms to see if there's something there, even if it's tiny. I've got scars now from it and I hate them just as much as the original blackheads and zits, but I can't get rid of them. It gets worse when I'm bored. I don't know how to stop doing it.
I have struggle with this since I was able to move my hands. It is professionally called dermotelomania (I probably spelled it wrong)
I suggest stress balls
I struggle with this everyday! My therapist told me that it is common but until I joined this forum I felt extremely alone in this struggle. I Used to have a perfect complexion but now my face is full of scars, lumps, etc. It starts with the tiniest blemish that I know in my head will go away soon but if I pick at it, it will just be another ugly scar on my face, but I can't help myself and I spend hours in the mirror picking!!! It's so frustrating and I get so angry at myself. Any help is appreciated! P.S. I'm new to this app: )
I have this same problem.
Do you find yourself looking into a mirror constantly? For me the constant picking of blackheads and the like seems to be definitely connected to my body issues.
One single pimple or blackheadfeels like horrible disaster and not only do I pick at them but I go overboardwith zit creams and stuff till I burn my skin.
YES! Exactly! I have all kinds of "tools" that I use. I live with my family and they are constantly on my back about it, and I think it makes me do it more. I really want to stop but my therapist helped me realize that I'm doing it for several reasons, need being since my life is so out of control, this is a way I can be in control. Also feeling the physical pain is easier than facing the emotional pain.
I can relate SO much to this! My family has been riding me about it for years and it just pisses me off and drives me to do it more (and it gets worse when I'm stressed or bored). You're therapists' ideas sound really interesting, I wonder if that's part of where mine stems from. For me it's all about trying to look perfect. This problem started for me in junior high when I first starting getting blackheads and having image issues due to boys and bullies. Even though I'm out of college now, this still drives me crazy because no amount of products and picking make it go away.
You're not the only one. Mine gets worse when I'm anxious and can get to my skin. I don't wear shorts anymore so I can't get at my legs. I have a horrible time, though, with my face and tummy. I do think it's part of my body issues, but it's also a self-comforting thing, in a twisted sort of way. Anti-anxiety medication helps, as does limiting any activity where my skin's exposed (showers, etc).
I used to self harm sometimes just to have something to pick at. I pick at anything and everything. Acne, blisters, wounds, lips, nails, dry skin, hair, nose. My lips and nails get it the worst though. My poor lips bleed a lot and feel raw. And I pick at my nails until I get a hang nail, then I pick at the hangnail till it hurts or gets infected. I also pick at the skin around my nail. It really is the worst. Especially when I'm asked to stop and I just can't.
I am so glad I found a community for Dermatillomania. I have never talked to another person with the same condition, so this is a big step.
I've been suffering with this for roughly six years. It's taken a toll on my self esteem, my body, and my freedoms with clothing severely. All of these suggestions are very helpful and I will definetly implement them in my day.
My sprees generally occur late at night before I go to bed, especially after I take my clothes off to change. As for my own suggestions, here's what I find to be helpful:
Get ready for bed earlier. Keep the lights low, just enough to see what you are doing. If you need to change clothes, do so in the dark. If you don't need to, never take off your clothes.
Also, I try not to wear tank tops and clothes that show too much skin because it can trigger me to pick. I try to keep a good skin routine to lessen the severity of a breakout. Of course, having teenage hormones doesn't help, but using salicylic acid on picked bumps helps them diminish so I don't further pick them again.
Thanks for having this be a space to speak about this issue! I have been harassed before, so I enjoy feeling comfortable.
