I have practiced dermatillomania for 15 years, now. I started around 15 years old, after watching my mother's picking habit. I have not had the opportunity to work on recovering from this habit, even though I have been in therapy fairly consistently, over the last 11 years.

I keep this a secret, though I am sure my husband notices. He has not said anything. My mother used to try to get me to stop, by physically pulling my hand from my head. However, that only made the obsession worse, built resentment for her lack of understanding and compassion, and helped cause embarrassment. I have wanted to stop the compulsion, though it is not the biggest issue at the moment.

Guess I am just wanting to talk about what I deal with, and start a dialogue around starting to heal/ cope in more productive ways.