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This is a post I have been going over in my head for 2 years now. It has become a coping mechanism and it has to stop. I don't know what I'm looking for here…maybe support…maybe criticism, whatever you have, really. I just know that sitting down here at rock bottom is starting to hurt more and more each day. It might be the hardest thing I've ever told anyone, but I just have to type this out and finally admit it to someone. To anyone. I have OCD. I am finally coming to terms with that. It's been 14 long, long years of intensive therapy, medication changes, and treatment to get to where I am now from my GAD diagnosis (and other things), and I've made so much progress.There is one thing I've hidden from the world, save my therapists of course, and I just can't bear it anymore. It makes me cry, it makes me isolate myself, and it makes me so so so happy sometimes. I have severe Dermatillomania. I've destroyed the skin on nearly every inch of my body, and it's getting worse. I don't do it for the pain, I hardly know why I do it anymore, but I can't stop. Hours a day are spent on this, hours a day while I go over this post in my head trying to justify just one more time. It's the ultimate stress relief, picking at these minuscule imperfections until I get something out of my skin. I don't care what it is, I'll just move on to the next spot. For at hour or two, I am able to go to a place indescribable. It's a place of shame, relief, and complete solitude. Maybe an awful zen is the best way to describe it. And I have tried everything. Everything possible - I've tried it all. Removing mirrors, never taking clothing off in light, wearing gloves at all times, wrapping up my hands while I sleep, going to therapy session after therapy session. I cut my nails so short they bled. Snapping my wrist with a hair binder is one thing that can snap me out of the trance the process puts me in, but sometimes when I try to stop my mind for just a second…just one loving second….that hair tie seems so far away it's impossible to dig myself out of my compulsion that I can't move my other hand an inch. For a week I stopped, deciding instead to try and tweeze every single hair from my legs and anywhere I had easy access to (though I've never had any compulsion to bother with my scalp). It helped, but it just wasn't enough. When I relapsed, it was a 4 hour session. I don't do it to self harm, let me make that clear. I don't know why I keep doing it, but it's consuming. During the day I tell myself I'll stop. I write signs by my mirrors and put them on my floor, on my desk, telling me to stop. Just the words "STOP," and I loving can't. Nobody but my therapists know, and don't want anybody to. My biggest fear is that this will keep me from ever being in a relationship with people I find myself interested in. Every encounter that could have led to ANYBODY seeing the scars and the disgusting red scabs has led in me leaving without a look back. I've hurt people I cared about, and so I keep my distance. I just want a normal relationship. I know it won't fix me, but it's something I'd like to do for once. What I can't bear to think of though is that moment they find out. When they find out that the girl others call beautiful is just a pretty face with a body covered in these repulsive marks, cysts, scars, self-induced lesions, and disgust. That awful moment where someone might reject me and I'll crumble forever into myself. I can't stand the thought and I never want to have to experience that. The whole "they will accept you for who you are if they love you," mantra won't work here. I know if I didn't have experience with this myself and met someone who looked like me, I would be shocked and maybe, maybe even put off...though I'd like to think not. Please tell me anything. I don't care what you say, but anything. I do therapy several times a week, and have switched therapists multiple times. I take medication and it helps with all of my other problems, so that's not something I can do much more with at the moment. I'm really on top of all that. I guess I just want to know that somebody took some time out of their day to read this and think how they would respond if they saw a girl they were interested in turn into something they would never touch. During all of my other waking hours, I am happy and outgoing. It's just those moments alone that I can't control my hands or my mind. I will take ANY suggestions to heart. Anything. Please. You know what. gently caress it. Nobody will ever know who I am on here, and maybe showing other people and even showing someone who is suffering like me that they're not alone will be worth it. This is me: http://i.imgur.com/a3akQAv.jpg http://i.imgur.com/hOG9Zwi.jpg *I should add that I have little, if any body acne to begin with. I've done this to my shoulders, back, neck, arms, and even my breasts. It got so bad when I was younger I even mutilated my nipples…every place I should never have done this to. That's something I never thought I'd have the strength to tell anyone. I love myself, but I hate what I do to myself in those 2 hours. You can judge if you want, it won't bother me any more than how I already think of myself. It is mutilation, plain and simple. I am sorry to share this with you, but It's the only thing I can think of that I haven't done. I don't think I can read over this again, so there are likely errors. If there is anyone else out there like me, please know that you're not alone, and I feel for you every day. edit: That was the hardest button I have ever clicked. Let's see where this goes. drained fucked around with this message at Mar 14, 2013 around 19:30 |
| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:07 |
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| # ? May 26, 2013 01:45 |
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Hmm that just looks like some dots.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:09 |
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Wayne Gretzky posted:Hmm that just looks like some dots. All I have is a webcamera. They go down my breasts, nipples, and entire back. Perhaps I should take a better photograph, but I dont' own a camera.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:11 |
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Well I'm sure theyre distressing to you but I thought you were going to look like a squished lizard based on your text part. I'm sorry you feel badly. It will get better!
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:13 |
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Do you have PMs or some other form of communication? You are not alone in this...
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:14 |
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I thought the same as The Great One. Not to fuff away your legitimate disorder, I just expected the picture to look like Mason Verger or something.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:23 |
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How unhealthy is it that you do this? I mean, sure, it is an obsessive compulsion. But it doesn't sound like you do this as a way to relieve anxiety or psychological distress with pain. So if you were to accept that you do this--that's it's okay to do strange things if you can't really control it and it isn't hurting the people around you--do you think it would help?
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:26 |
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Wayne Gretzky posted:Well I'm sure theyre distressing to you but I thought you were going to look like a squished lizard based on your text part. I'm sorry you feel badly. It will get better! I appreciate it. Bloody Mayhem posted:Do you have PMs or some other form of communication? You are not alone in this... I set up drained9076 yahoo It might take me a day or two to get the nerve up to reply, but I will. I can't believe how much weight it took off of my chest just in posting that one blurry photo. I know other people suffer with this. I want more people to know and understand it...if at all possible. My scars are starting to heal in some places, at least. Here is more of an explination. No more photos for me after this, though. http://i.imgur.com/hOG9Zwi.jpg Phew. I can do this... edit: In Drywall posted:How unhealthy is it that you do this? I mean, sure, it is an obsessive compulsion. But it doesn't sound like you do this as a way to relieve anxiety or psychological distress with pain. So if you were to accept that you do this--that's it's okay to do strange things if you can't really control it and it isn't hurting the people around you--do you think it would help? I do it to relieve stress, usually. The higher my stress level, the worse it is. I wouldn't mind if it didn't keep me from forming any intimate relationships and hating looking in the mirror, but that's what it's led to. The Swinemaster posted:I thought the same as The Great One. Not to fuff away your legitimate disorder, I just expected the picture to look like Mason Verger or something. drained fucked around with this message at Mar 14, 2013 around 19:32 |
| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:29 |
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I've been with people who had really bad scars or acne or what-have-you on their bodies. Such a thing doesn't ruin relationships. If someone were to say "yeah, those are from this this compulsion I have where I pick at my skin" I think most people would be absolutely okay with that. As far as the relationship thing goes, I don't think anyone--and especially anyone worthwhile--would care, even if you told them the story behind it. Also, looking at that other picture--I have acne scars worse than that. You probably wouldn't even have to explain it. Heck, I have scars from self-destruction back in the day that people don't even notice. If it's the fact that you do it that bothers you, that's one thing. But no one can tell those are out of place. It looks fine. I think possibly it's most noticeable to you because you dwell on it a lot? In Drywall fucked around with this message at Mar 14, 2013 around 19:43 |
| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:37 |
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I think so too. Dwelling on it would be a large part of the OCD cycle. Hang in there
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:39 |
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This is actually really, really common. I did it so badly when I was young that I could feel the scabs on my back crinkle when I moved. I still do it enough that I don't have good advice for you. Kava kava helped me but it's expensive to be taking it all the time and/or may cause severe liver damage.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:40 |
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Queen Gnome posted:I think so too. Dwelling on it would be a large part of the OCD cycle. Hang in there Thank you. It's a big part of the OCD for me. Pick posted:This is actually really, really common. I did it so badly when I was young that I could feel the scabs on my back crinkle when I moved. I haven't heard of Kava Kava before, I should check into it. Have you been able to stop picking?
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:41 |
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Also, thanks for sharing. It's a big step when you keep this bottled up so much. And the input of others can be really useful to keep things in proportion. I do http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania on my big bushy eyebrows, and nobody cares or notices because, heck, I have a lot of eyebrow hair and you just can't tell. In Drywall fucked around with this message at Mar 14, 2013 around 19:47 |
| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:44 |
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Have you tried medication? It can help a lot of people with self-mutilation OCD. I also know a couple of people who have been helped by trans cranial magnetic stimulation.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:44 |
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AlbieQuirky posted:Have you tried medication? It can help a lot of people with self-mutilation OCD. I also know a couple of people who have been helped by trans cranial magnetic stimulation. I currently take a cocktail of medication that helps a lot with my rather bad GAD. This is the only thing it hasn't kicked, and I've been tweaking medicine recently to see if I can find something a bit better. Maybe I'll get lucky  In Drywall posted:Also, thanks for sharing. It's a big step when you keep this bottled up so much. And the input of others can be really useful to keep things in proportion. I do http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania on my big bushy eyebrows, and nobody cares or notices because, heck, I have a lot of eyebrow hair and you just can't tell. Oh man give me your eyebrows. Plucking eyebrows is so satisfying wow...I already feel so much better. Maybe I can sleep decently today.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:45 |
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Hey OP, I have keloid scars all over my upper chest, and on the back of my shoulders. Without a shirt on I can resemble on of those freakish mutants you see in horror films or video games. They're not super bad and I look normal aside from these thumb sized bumps in the areas I mentioned. I also have scars on my side from chickenpox. Oh, also I'm over weight. I must sound pretty repulsive and should probably just stay in my room, huh? Nope! I don't feel ashamed to stand infront of a mirror either. What's to be ashamed about? They're some small deformities and I don't think anyone minds. I'm also working on the overweight thing through diet and exercise because it feels good to take charge of my appearance and health. Also, I have a girlfriend as well and she doesn't care about the scars either because she loves me as a person. If the people in your life don't then you should dump 'em! It sounds like you only feel an urge to do this when your alone. When your alone, get a non social hobby and sperg out on that instead, it'll give you the same distraction. I highly recommend exercise if you aren't already. Even if your thin your appearence will improve and you'll feel awesome for taking it into your own hands. You don't have to be a slave to this, don't let it get you down, you've already shown lots of courage by posting this!
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:50 |
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I can't offer anything, other than have you ever tried other forms of stress relief? Simply a stress ball?
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:52 |
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Those eyebrows? See, if I hadn't said anything, would you be able to tell? Granted, my case isn't so bad--it's mostly an unconscious habit at this point, rather than a trance OCD state--but there it is. Also, keloid scars!  The point being, drained, that you're not alone and it's okay to be strugglin' with this stuff. In Drywall fucked around with this message at Mar 15, 2013 around 13:30 |
| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:55 |
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johnny sack posted:I can't offer anything, other than have you ever tried other forms of stress relief? Simply a stress ball? I broke one recently, but it might really be good to get a nice one, now that I think about it. I had buckeyballs, but I used them too much and got little metal slivers in my hands  Maybe I"ll have to go look into getting something tomorrow! Razage posted:Hey OP, I have keloid scars all over my upper chest, and on the back of my shoulders. Without a shirt on I can resemble on of those freakish mutants you see in horror films or video games. They're not super bad and I look normal aside from these thumb sized bumps in the areas I mentioned. I also have scars on my side from chickenpox. Oh, also I'm over weight.  You don't sound disgusting to me, and it sounds like you're working really hard on bettering yourself! I'm already shocked at all of the positive feedback I'm getting. I haven't had any self confidence with this before, and even in a short hour it's building. You guys are great In Drywall posted:Those eyebrows? See, if I hadn't said anything, would you be able to tell? Granted, my case isn't so bad--it's mostly an unconscious habit at this point, rather than a trance OCD state--but there it is. edit: I'm gonna try and get some sleep. I think I'll actually sleep well this time. Stormageddon posted:Don't let the support be too euphoric. Let it give you solidarity and a resolve that lasts, not a high that fades. I'll have to try for both drained fucked around with this message at Mar 14, 2013 around 19:59 |
| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:56 |
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Don't let the support be too euphoric. Let it give you solidarity and a resolve that lasts, not a high that fades.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:57 |
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Stormageddon posted:Don't let the support be too euphoric. Let it give you solidarity and a resolve that lasts, not a high that fades. Well, this too. Yeah. Also I'm not actually sure if that's a keloid scar or a hypertrophic scar; I haven't been to a dermatologist about it.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 19:59 |
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Its pretty normal and lots of people do it to some extent. I was with a guy that did this to his entire back once. I didn't even think about the marks on his skin at all, he would bring them up and then I would even remember that he had them even though I stared at him naked every day. When you do get into a relationship though don't ask your partner to pick your skin for you, makes it all awkward for the person really wanting to say no. If I were you I would just start dating someone and take your clothes off normally when the time comes.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:00 |
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In Drywall posted:Well, this too. Yeah. Also I'm not actually sure if that's a keloid scar or a hypertrophic scar; I haven't been to a dermatologist about it. I've had a lot of luck with duoderm products through my derm. They are really magic for keloids.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:00 |
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I know exactly how you feel. I was in the 4th or 5th grade when I dropped religion; learning about original sin was the deathblow for my belief. Later, I found out that due to a cultural meme that religion once infected my country with 160 years ago, I'd been subjected to genital mutilation as an infant. Depression and PTSD harassed me in my most private moments for 14 years, but I'm thankful that science may soon be able to make me whole again. Science saves, not religion. Foregen.org
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:01 |
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I'm a picker, you're picker, wouldn't you like to be a picker, too! In all seriousness, I also have what I guess would be considered a very mild case of OCD self-mutilation, although I never thought about it that way. I just pick little zits on my face, chest, and arms. Not to the extent you're describing, but still, I have about 5 little scabs on my face right now and more on my upper arms. I never thought it was a big deal, though, because although I definitely sometimes feel ashamed after I do it - like if I've just wrecked my face - many times I've picked at something until there's a bleeding 1/4" crater - it's not something that ever felt interfered with my life. Maybe people around me think I'm gross but nobody has ever said anything to me about it so I don;t really know. I pretty much only pick at home when I'm in front of a mirror like when I'm brushing my teeth. I totally understand the feeling of being "in the zone" of picking, though. I wish I could tell you how to stop, but I can't stop myself, either, so I can't. I guess I just try to stop through willpower, sometimes I can just turn away from the mirror. Don't let it overwhelm you, though. You're not a freak. Also, what Razage said.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:08 |
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When I was a teenager and going through some stress, I used to have a similar habit. For me, it subsided once my life got back to normal, but I absolutely know the how it feels, and I really admire you for being able to make this thread. Is there anyone you can trust to be a sort of accountability partner, someone who you can contact when you feel the urge coming on so that they can talk you down and remind you of how well you've been doing and how much progress you've made? The way I see it, compulsions like this can take on a life of their own, beyond disorders like OCD, and become more like addictions, and addiction support groups like AA use this system to help people stay "on the wagon." It might help to have someone you can turn to for moral support when you feel yourself slipping. If your therapist isn't filling this role and you don't feel like you can open up to friends offline, I'm sure you could find a few goons willing to make themselves available for the task  I know that these are just low-res photos and that these marks must stand out to you because you naturally fixate on them, but you are not permanently disfigured. Even now, I can't imagine that most people would be put off by the way you look. They will fade once you're able to get this under control, and they are not going to prevent you from living your life or having relationships.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:11 |
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Try picking up smoking? I mean anything to keep your hands off your body.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:20 |
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Grandpas a Racist posted:Try picking up smoking? I mean anything to keep your hands off your body. E Cigs if you go that route.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:23 |
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I pick my face, chest, back, and around my bikini line, and I've done so since I was 12. I've always had hyper sensitive skin, and if I see or feel an imperfection, it drives me mad. Though I still pick, it has gotten better, and the big step for me was learning that it's not something to be ashamed of, at all. OCD is an illness, and I wouldn't be ashamed of having asthma, or diabetes, or MS, or any other chronic illness. Why be ashamed of having OCD? I've also realized that most people never notice or comment; to them it's just a few spots, whereas to you or me, it seems like a disastrous carpet bombing of blemishes and sores. But it's really not. I still haven't been able to find a really good coping mechanism for this- I pick probably every other day or so, mostly my face and back these days- but I used to pick to the point of heavy bleeding 2-3 times a day, all over my body, head, and face. The big step for slowing it down for me was realizing that it wasn't shameful or disgusting, and it didn't make me a bad person. Then I was able to step outside of that self-punishing cycle a bit more. I hope this helps.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:24 |
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Galliope posted:I still haven't been able to find a really good coping mechanism for this- I pick probably every other day or so, mostly my face and back these days- but I used to pick to the point of heavy bleeding 2-3 times a day, all over my body, head, and face. The big step for slowing it down for me was realizing that it wasn't shameful or disgusting, and it didn't make me a bad person. Then I was able to step outside of that self-punishing cycle a bit more. Weaning yourself off of the habit is a valid option, too. When people quit smoking, they generally don't have much luck going cold turkey. They have to taper off and use nicotine substitutes and find ways of taking the edge off, so they don't relapse and smoke two packs in a day because it was too overwhelming just to stop. This might just be silly, but maybe you could set a rule that you're allowed to spend (pulling a number out of my rear end) a maximum of fifteen minutes a day picking at your skin guilt-free. Set an alarm on your phone before you start, and stop as soon as time is up. If you're able to stick to the rule for a few weeks, reduce your time limit to ten minutes, then to five minutes. After that, see if you can cut back to that much time every other day. Twice a week. Once a week. And so on. Even if you find yourself "stuck" at X minutes a day, you're limiting the damage you can do and you're gaining some control over the compulsion.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:31 |
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I alternate between a mild case of doing what you're doing, I obsessively pick at acne and some thing that accumulates on my scalp. If I'm not doing that I'm gnawing on my fingernails. It kind of sucks because if I manage to leave my fingernails alone I'm picking at myself and doing some damage, but the alternative is having sore fingertips and no fingernails. For me it's definitely an anxiety thing, so I would bring it up with the therapist. I should probably be medicated so at least you're ahead of the game.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:32 |
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Grandpas a Racist posted:Try picking up smoking? I mean anything to keep your hands off your body. Or skip a step and go straight into ways people quit smoking through jelly beans or cinnamon sticks.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:36 |
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Grandpas a Racist posted:Try picking up smoking? I mean anything to keep your hands off your body. Ewww, smoking cigarettes is bad for you.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:37 |
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Yeah, uh, don't start smoking because of this. That's a far more unhealthy way of dealing with compulsion than picking your skin. It is cooler, though.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:42 |
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In Drywall posted:Yeah, uh, don't start smoking because of this. That's a far more unhealthy way of dealing with compulsion than picking your skin. It is cooler, though. While smoking as a specific example is a terrible solution, it's not a bad idea to look for a new "habit" that can provide the same kind of release when you're anxious or stressed and tempted to pick at your skin. Just make sure it's less destructive than the habit you're trying to replace...
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:45 |
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^^the smoking chat reminds me of David Sedaris's essay "Plague of Tics" where he describes how taking up smoking immediately extinguished all other tics/urges he had. So, maybe...Razage posted:
This is what I was going to say. I had an old roommate who was very socially outgoing, partially for this reason. She was bulimic and found that being around people constantly distracted her from the urge to binge and purge, in addition to the fact that she would only ever engage in those behaviors when alone for obvious reasons, so limiting her alone time was key. Do you have roommates or could you get some? Could you spend more of your free time out of the house, at the library or gym or wherever? In terms of your specific problem, maybe something that healed the sores quickly would make your skin less triggering? I don't know what that would be specifically, but maybe like microdermabrasion or laser resurfacing or a peel. You could try calling a medical spa and asking if they would do those treatments on parts of your body other than your face.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:56 |
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I think I know where you're coming from OP. I have keratosis pilaris on my arms, chest, and back, (and face? maybe those are just vanilla zits) so growing up i was always squeezing out keratin plugs from my pores. They would get irritated, scabby, etc. Like you, I became self conscious about taking my shirt of in front of others and feeling sexually repulsive. Now sometimes I even lance deeper zits with needles, and its beginning to cause some large keloid scars. Its a stress response for me too. I don't do it as much anymore, but I'll still catch myself doing it after stressful days. I think the compulsion was perhaps the main reason that I was a late bloomer, not losing my virginity, or even kissing a girl, until I was 19. What ended up helping me the most was some perspective. Realizing I knew girls with bad skin that were still incredibly attractive to me was a needed dose of perspective- if I could find them attractive, why couldn't that go both ways? The girl I lost my virginity had splotches from vitiligo that she was self conscious about ( Nobody but her finds them unattractive) . She didn't even bat an eye at my scars, but was so afraid of me seeing her splotches; Most of the things people are self conscious about are really dumb hang ups that only get in the way of enjoying life. Its ok to care less about your skin. You don't need to be proud of your skin, and you really REALLY don't need to be ashamed of your skin. Besides, from those pictures you're posting, I'm telling you that your skin 'problem' is really minor. How much your compulsion is affecting your self image, and how powerless you feel to control yourself, those are the real problems. e: this kinda rambles but i hope you get the point e2: when you catch yourself doing it you should be like, 'aw dangit', and not like 'I AM A MONSTER' MC Cakes fucked around with this message at Mar 14, 2013 around 21:06 |
| # ? Mar 14, 2013 20:59 |
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Grandpas a Racist posted:Try picking up smoking? I mean anything to keep your hands off your body. Yeah that sounds cool, also she could try the knife game and pissing in electrical sockets
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 21:07 |
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Hey OP, sorry to hear you're struggling. I have GAD and depression, and while I don't suffer from OCD myself,my girlfriend of 2 years struggles with OCD and dermatillomania. Through CBT and medication she's been making huge strides in progress in the last 6 months, and we've been working really hard together to positively change her habits. She also has body image issues, some of which stem from her dermatillomania, and being seen was a hard thing for her to overcome. I also have issues with body image that I'm still working to come to terms with. The point I'm trying to make is that you're definitely not alone in this. I don't want to minimize what you're going through at all, I can't imagine how painful and hard it's been for you to go through all this. But at the end of the day it's important to keep in mind that, in other's eyes, your skin really isn't a big deal at all. Keep up with your therapy and medication, you will overcome this. I know right now it seems like it will never happen, and that's okay. You made a really big step in sharing your experience with the internet, and even more so with sharing pictures of the thing you're most shameful of. Ultimately, having another person in your life who knows about your issues, regardless of the nature of your relationship, is going to be an invaluable asset to you. Validation from somebody you trust, and sharing the burden of the stress and strife of your condition, is going to some day be the key in controlling your illness. I know finding another person to fit any sort of role in your life is not easily done, that's its own maddening issue, but exposure of any kind is so important and helpful. Paralyzing, terrifying, but crucial. I'd encourage you to push yourself, little by little, to try to share more about your body and your experiences in any ways you can. If you journal, good, keep it up. Blogs are always a popular choice. If nothing else, keep posting here about it. The more you do it, the closer you are to coming to terms with things and resolving these issues. I'm sure your therapists would agree. Anyways, I hope this is even the slightest bit helpful for you. Thank you for sharing.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 21:27 |
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| # ? May 26, 2013 01:45 |
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I have the same issue. I still have it to some extent but I've figured out a few tricks to make it a bit easier to deal with. 1. Paint your fingertips with clear nail polish. This reduces sensitivity so it's tougher to run your fingers across patches of skin and find things that need to be picked. Also it has the added effect of flaking off eventually, which you can usually harmlessly pick at and just paint back on. 2. Continually be mindful of the fact that you're picking, when you start. Catch yourself. If you're alone, say out loud "stop picking" and focus on something else. 3. Identify safe zones that you've decide you're going to fully let heal. Make a pointed effort to ignore those places, count the spots of irritation and make a record of them receding. This activity can sometimes play to the same OCD-fueled appetite that facilitates the creation of more irritations. 4. Throw out the tweezers/special mirrors or any other tools you have that aid in picking/plucking. Just get rid of them. Throw them into a dumpster and don't look back. Personally I'm still having a hell of a time growing a respectable beard because on hour 18+ after shaving the stubble comes in and I pluck hairs from my chin like there's no tomorrow, but I've managed to go a whole week without doing this once so I know it's possible.  The sides of my thumbs also have huge calluses on them due to picking, but it's something most people don't pick up on unless I point it out.Thanks for posting this thread. I hope you are able to make some progress. I also agree with the previous posters who recommend medicine to help with the general anxiety. Severe picking is definitely tied to this. If I'm personally kept busy and everything is on the up-and-up, my hands aren't tempted to get quite as busy.
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| # ? Mar 14, 2013 21:29 |
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