does anyone struggle with this...

I have had a compulsion disorder , skin -picking, and nothing i have ever rtaken has helped. Is this unusual for people dealing with bipolar, i know that anxiety goes hand in hand with other illnesses, but this is soo frustrating,embarassing, and causes alot of shame. I havent worn shorts in years, and other areas of my life, not comfortable being seen naked by husband, or drs. This is something i hadnt talked about until recently, thinking it makes me look even more screwed up than i am. will see dr. april 15, and will admit this problem ive hid for 15 years. I recently called the nurses and asked for increase of lamictal(taking 50 mg daily), and found out they want me to take risperdel(not sure about spelling), which isnt what i wanted, already have a pharmacy at home!! does anyone have experience with this drug, and is it effective ?? will be starting just 1 mg daily, i believe, doesnt seem like much but what do i know? really appreciate any comments, either/or about compulsions and how to deal with them, and risperdel. take care

Hello fellow Alabamian. I also have some issues with Skin- picking... I still have scabs that I have been picking since I was in High School ( Im now 31 y.o.).. I dont let them heal for some reason. I have read that it is sometimes classified with SI. I wanted to let you know your not the only with this issue... but unfortunatly... I dont have much working knowledge about any of those medications.

Sorry I couldnt help much... but you are not alone..

The amount in mg of a drug and what is a lot varies by drugs. 15mg of Abilify is a moderate dose, while 200mg of Lamictal is a moderate dose. My nephew uses Resperdal and it seems to work for him, but everyone is different.

As for skin-picking, a compulsion, is not a part of bipolar.

I take Risperdal (2mg) to keep away psychotic symptoms and it works well for me. It can be stimulating in high dosages, so I've had trouble taking it at bedtime--but I hear it helps other people fall asleep. The only side effect that's bothered me is increased saliva production, which occasionally makes me drool, which is embarrassing but not life threatening.

I took risperdal and it worked great but the 45 lbs I gained with it wasn't worth it to me....now in my search for something to take and keep the weight off I am going nuts! if you don't care about the weight gain I'd say try the risperdal it works