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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 2 of 2. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by DiamondDoggie on November 28, 2005, at 1:16:10
Hi! I am not sure if this is the right category to post this...
I was wondering who out there is a skin picker or knows anything about self injurious skin picking? What do you do and how do you do it? What are your triggers? How do you stop from doing it? Is it linked with anything else in your life?
I pick the skin on my face and have picked at my feet, legs, arms, chest, and nails before. I pick at my face and lips. I have only picked several times since early Sept. when I started to stop and get myself help for it. I also deal with binge eating disorder/emotional eating and low self esteem from an emotionally abusive relationship I was in. All of these things are connected, and lately for the first time in a reaaaaaally long time I picked at the skin on my face very very badly, which induces all kinds of negative feelings, and have also been eating badly. Skin picking is almost like cutting yourself, but not as severe physically.
Any thoughts, opinions, suggestions, etc? Just anyone out there who has anything to say about anything relating to their skin, unhappiness with their skin, trials and tribulations with dermatologists and treatments, compulsively or/and injuriously picking at their skin, skin as it relates to other factors in life, etc.DD
Posted by ClearSkies on November 29, 2005, at 18:33:35
In reply to SKIN--SKIN PICKING--OCD SKIN PICKERS, posted by DiamondDoggie on November 28, 2005, at 1:16:10
I have never been treated specifically for skin picking, but in times of great stress and poor self esteem, I pick at my legs all the time.
When I was a teenager I picked at my face - hello, pizzaskin! I have always been fastidious about seeing a dermatologist and trying to take care of my skin. It took me YEARS to keep my hands away from my face. Even now when I'm the least bit stressed my first response is to "worry" at my skin. Picking, rubbing, examining. it's all I can do sometimes to keep my hands still. Now I just wring them like laundry.I get a lot of comfort from tactile activity - smoothing my hand over my cat's fur until she bites me, rubbing my lips on the hairs of my arm (do ya think I has weaned too early? thanx mom). Plus I sucked my finger until I was 12 years old. Lots of sensory stuff going on that releases anxiety.
I now go to sleep with my hands at my sides and I pretend that I can't move from my neck down.
Yowza I don't know if any of this helps but I'm here and I know how you feel.
This is the end of the thread.
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