Scalp Picking, Anyone?

Hi,

Not sure where to post this. I have taken adderall which it can be a side effect from, I think. But my pdoc took me off the adderall. Does anyone else pick at their scalp?? I'm addicted; it used to be a nervous habit but now it's all the time. I now have scabs, bumps and sores. I used to wash my hair with tea tree shampoo and had to switch because it was burning my scalp. Sometimes I also pick at bumps on my upper arms and thighs. I feel like this might be some type of a compulsion like hair pulling - I can't ever spell that diagnosis. I will probably talk to my T, but she is new and I'm trying to get to know her first.

Thanks,

TnT

Amphetamines often create or exacerbate compulsions which can become behaviors so ingrained in us that they are incredibly difficult to kick. The hair pulling disorder you are thinking of is called Trichotillomania. Skin picking and Trich are very similar in nature, thus treatment is basically the same.

Depending on the severity, behavioral therapy along with medication has been the most successful approach, but the disorder is generally new and not well researched. Success is rather limited, but many people have gained great relief. Talk to your doctor about it as soon as you can, before you do any more damage to your scalp!

In the DSM 5 there is a disorder for skin picking. It like Trichotillomania it is a impulse control disorder. You should look it up.

This was a helpful website, but I was just wondering if anyone else had this problem.

Welcome to the Trichotillomania Learning Center

Not that specifically, but when I had my most recent mania (which involved AWFUL mixed-state agitation and anxiety) I absolutely tore the skin off parts of my thumbs. I picked and picked at it until the skin was a mess. When I finally got my meds properly adjusted and calmed down I actually had gel (artificial) fingernails done because the artificial nails make it so I cannot pick at my skin.

Any kind of drug that causes agitation (if you're bipolar an AD can set off agitation, definitely Adderall & other "speed" drugs) makes the tendency to skin pick really bad.

Thanks for your reply, sister rags. I actually read online about getting nails helping a person. And they do have a diagnosis term Dermatillomania. It's commonly associated with OCD and body dysmorpyic disorder (spelling??) And like you mentioned anxiety is a big trigger. I also chew the hang nails sometimes to the point that they're torn and really painful. I think I'm very lucky I don't pull my hair out. I had a friend in college who did that and she had bald patches. It was really sad; she had a bunch of self hatred. My pdoc took me off valium so I'm sure that's part of my problem.

Take care. Tnt

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I pick my scalp, which started off as a nervous tick that turned into an impulse that I don't even realize I am doing.

Yeah... I pick at my scalp. Sometimes it's random. There's a spot along my hairline that I tend to aggravate more than others.

And the spot of my nose right between my eyes. For some reason... it's always agitated and I am ALWAYS picking at it. Of course, it's agitated BECAUSE I pick at it...

I pick at the skin of my feet. I developed this compulsion during my 2nd marriage when it was truly falling apart. I really loved this man, but he made life for me and my kids hell. I fought back in my own way, but began to internalize the emotions and it surfaced as skin picking. I don't recall having this before that time, other than as a child picking the skin on my nose when it got sunburned. It took a long time for my mom to get me to stop the behavior. Looking back, I really do realize and wish my parents got help for me when I was young. They did not get me help, unfortunately I can't help but to wonder how much of a difference help back then could have helped me . I suspect it would have helped, but I will never know.

I SO agree with you about not getting desperately needed psych help as a child. The last time I was in patient my shrink said if you didn't have the childhood you had you'd not be here

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I have a friend who has picked their scalp religiously for many years - like a never-healing scab that's like 10 years old. She is diagnosed OCD. Does a picking compulsion of that caliber mean trichotillomania? Also she picks at other scabs, mosquito bites, finger nails, etc. It seems to be worse when nervous (also fidgeting when nervous).

But no pulling out of hair at all... is pulling out here a defining characteristic? Might this be trichotillomania and not OCD? Or is trichotillomania often co-diagnosed with OCD so maybe it's both?

She says that often she picks at her scalp before she even gets out of bed in the morning. She has gone to a psych and diagnosed OCD/ADHD/anxiety but she has hidden the scalp-picking thing from the pysch even...

Hi. Dermatilliomania is scalp picking. I don't pull my hair out. But picking at my scalp is constant even off adderall. It's a pain and worse when I'm agitated or nervous.

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