[raspberrytorte]

I have disgusting anxiety habits, like I pick my face and scalp, bite my lips, chew my finger nails, pull and chew on my hair. Gross I know. I do it without even thinking.

So, all of that is nasty, but the worst of it is that there are two spots at my temples where I rub and pick at my hairline. Again, do this without even thinking.

Balding at those two locations, thinning hair, very noticeable. It's been happening for awhile, but didn't get bad looking until recently. Really examined these two areas and it's AWFUL.

Light bulb moment this morning. Where I rub and pick. Prior freaking out because I thought I was going to start looking like a man!!

Only visible when I wear my hair up. Have to wear hair up ALL THE TIME at work. So embarassing.

Anyone else have habits like this they do out of anxiety?

And are these behaviors something I should bring up to new pdoc in may?

[ComfortablyNumb5]

I pick my face BAD. You should see me right now lol. I have scars on top of scars and scabs right now. Everytime I go to the bathroom, I stop at the mirror to pick. I love squeezing my nose and watch the stuff come out too. My bf is always yelling at me to stop and I've been doing this since I was a acne riddled teen.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[pirilin]

I tend to bite my toe nails more than anything else.
However, my solution works. A piece of duct tape across my mouth.
In your case, I would suggest wearing boxer's gloves.

Now seriously. Yes, you should talk to your shrink about it.
Just try and relax a little in the meantime.
The hair and the nails will come back once your anxiety is under control.

[gina_re]

I guess this is anxiety relatedly because I seem to do it more so at work where it can get a bit crazy sometimes. I pick at my ears. I can't really explain how I do this, and sometimes I get scabs because I scratch so much, but I keep going for it. And I love picking the scabs! They rarely get a chance to heal.

[Vandelay Industries]

For picking what works for me is applying an oily lotion. Like the kind that comes in what looks like a huge chapstick. This changes the feeling of picking to where it is no longer satisfying to do. Of course, all the time I put off applying the lotion, but...

[BeyondtheRainbow]

I do almost all the same things. I've changed where I pick at my head to the back where it isn't as visible (I have very curly hair so it's hidden by frizz in the back). There is a shampoo/conditioner called Nioxin that I used when I had to re-grow hair after my thyroid crashed/I was extra stressed/I had a hysterectomy and my hormones went crazy. You can get it in salons or online. Just be sure it is the one for re-growing hair and not for dandruff. It does work although you have to be patient.

[cashart10]

I pick at my cuticles until they bleed. I also pace around at high speed. Sometimes I will leave group interactions to pace. When I run into someone who I know and sees me pacing, I feel very embarrassed. Some times I will catch myself pacing without even noticing.

I pick my face - even though I usually don't have much to pick at, I will make mountains out of molehills!

[raspberrytorte]

Thanks for the responses everyone, and for the advice. I am relieved to know I'm not the only picker around.

I'm starting to take biotin and iron supplements, and I bought some vitamin e oil to massage on my bald spots. Hopefully that will help my hair grow back faster.

My husband told me he's noticed me rubbing/picking at those spots a lot, but never thought anything of it. I told him to stop me from now on if he sees me doing that!

[gina_re]

Originally Posted by cashart10

I pick at my cuticles until they bleed. I also pace around at high speed. Sometimes I will leave group interactions to pace. When I run into someone who I know and sees me pacing, I feel very embarrassed. Some times I will catch myself pacing without even noticing.

I did this too!! The only reason I don't pick at my cuticles anymore is because I started giving myself manicures so it's not as easy.

[fishin fool]

I shake my foot like crazy and tap my fingers a lot.
Sometimes I pace and go outside for fresh air.
Sometimes I bite my finger nails.

[gina_re]

Originally Posted by fishin fool

I shake my foot like crazy and tap my fingers a lot.
Sometimes I pace and go outside for fresh air.
Sometimes I bite my finger nails.

Goodness, I do the foot thing too....

Repetitive hand motions. Well, fingers mostly. Two different kinds of repetitions. Over and over and over. The more anxious I am, the faster they go. I do them when not anxious too, but not as much. Pretty oblivious to doing it. BF's not though! Say we're watching a dvd. He'll just keep lifting my hand away (as many times as it takes till I can turn off the auto-pilot) because it drives him nuts.

(I pick at my skin too. More than I should, but not a serious problem. More of a bad habit mixed with some obsession/too fixated on the small picture kind of thing. It's not really an anxiety thing for me though (don't think so anyway), more of a regular habit. Even when I realize it's making it worse, it's hard to stop ("Just one more go. That'll be the one." Yeah right. )).

i tend to scratch my lips a lot

not hurt them or anything like that.. just scratch them. it feels good and comforting
i also tend to just choose a place in my room, and just stand their as still as a statue

i also have a christmas decoration- which is a jingly bell, and when i'm anxious i tend to fiddle with the bell- constantly making it ring

i like to put it on my door and make the door move back and foruth in time to the bell's beat

I grab my ears -- I curl my fingers over my ears and cover my ear hole with my palms.

I also run my fingers through my hair, grab a chunk of it, and tug on it a little. I don't try to pull it out, however!

[Ripose]

I don't know if this counts but I have numerous pre-cancerous spots on my forearms and face, they get very itchy and irritating at times and I scratch until blood raises under the skin turning the spots a very bright purple. I end up looking like I have some kind of horrendous skin disease going on.

[gina_re]

Originally Posted by shattered sanity

i tend to scratch my lips a lot

not hurt them or anything like that.. just scratch them. it feels good and comforting
i also tend to just choose a place in my room, and just stand their as still as a statue

i also have a christmas decoration- which is a jingly bell, and when i'm anxious i tend to fiddle with the bell- constantly making it ring

i like to put it on my door and make the door move back and foruth in time to the bell's beat

Aaaahhhh!!! I do this too!! I'm always peeling at the skin on my lips (like when they are chapped or something) and it ends up bleeding, but it is soo satisfying when I finally get the last piece. If I can't get to it, say I'm at work or out of my house. I get more anxiety until I can get to a mirror and finish it!

another thing i do is make something last forever
like before what ever i'm anxious about actually happens, i try and delay it by doing the same thing a few times over- in hopes that if i do it for long enough, the moment will pass and i won't have to face it at all

I got into the habit of picking at my skin years ago. A couple things helped me stop. First, i bought a first aid spray at the drug store. I was much less inclined to pick at my sores after i'd sprayed them. The second was to get some bubble wrap and attach a swatch of it to my shirt with a safety pin when i was home and burst a bubble when i felt eager to pick at my skin. Hope this helps someone, it worked wonders for me. There's a support site for skin picking, called dermatotillomania, called 'pickaderms.' Not sure if it's still there.

[raspberrytorte]

Thanks apfei! That's very helpful advice.

[Wanderlust90]

I pick too, pretty much anywhere where I have a blemish or wound or whatever, but mainly my face & upper arms. I also bite my nails until bleeding then start on the cuticles too. I'm essentially ALWAYS fidgeting or shaking my leg or moving in someway whilst sitting, when it gets bad I can't find a comfortable spot & pace & pace. I get up & sit down the get up & sit down & repeat. I also bite at my lips, peel off any dead skin, pull at my hair. Not sure if it's all anxiety or partly hypomanic agitation. I would bring it up with your Pdoc, something I also need to do lol

[zepchic]

I pick my face and legs, and have hand issues. Like if someone is holding their hand a certain way or they touch my hand a certain way, I have to crack all my knuckles and bend all the fingers back, then press on each fingernail. Just typing about it I have to do it.