[tillytot42]

Hi everyone have just found this board. Have picked at the skin on my thumbs for as long as I can remember. I'm amazed I've never had an infection. I pik at my feet too so bad I can't walk sometimes. Has anyone managed to get any help with this? Therapy or cbt?

[FaithlessCat]

I pick at my arms, chest and by proxy my DH's back. Although it's less picking more 'squeezing' little spots or pores until something comes out.I use a small pair of scissors and a finger nail. I told my PDoc that even just talking about it was making me feel exhilerated (sp?).

I just get this little high whenever I see anything squish out of the spots.

My arms are covered in scars ... luckily I have freckles which hides them very well.
I read that CSP seems to worsen in the evenings, and this is certainly true of me. I also def now see a connection between my stress levels and my CSP. The other day a friend of mine was being a bit of an pain in the butt and I found myself sat there with my scissors, so I called another friend and said . quick I need a chat and cup of tea before I ruin my arms again.
If I can become preoccupied I can stop, but I am easily bored

I haven't had any treatment for it yet thou as I have only recently been diagnosed with Pure O Ocd and BiPOlar II and I realise that my CSP is part of one of these probably the OCD.

Are you in any kind of treatment ATM ? and have you mentioned it to anyone ? what ( if any ) DX do you have ?

[phaset]

I used to, still do to some extent. I've never had any treatment for it. I used to pick at my face all the time, it was extremely embarrassing. The only way I could stop is to grow a beard so I can't get at the skin. I'm sure I have tons of scars, and my beard has patches that don't grow right. Unfortunately that lead to pulling beard hair, but no where near as badly and only if I let it grow past a certain in length. I pick and chew skin in other places still. My fingers are a mess.

For sure it was worse in the evenings for me as well. Also really late at night after my parents had gone to sleep and there was less chance of getting caught in the bathroom for hours on end...

[BubonicPlague]

Whenever I see the slightest bump on my face I have to get it. The same goes with my back too.

Though I don't do it as much compared to the last time when I picked nearly every single black head on my face to the point of bleeding.

[Questforinnerpeace]

I'm a skin-picker. I go through random periods where I pick the skin on my toes until they bleed, or the skin on my thumbs. I also endlessly chew the inside of my mouth. I cannot stop. I have been doing that for over 25 years. I also pick scabs, pimples, scars, anything that is not smooth on my skin. I saw on YouTube there were some videos by a certain doctor that depicted the squeezing of cysts while calming music was playing - LOL! It is supposed to help us skin-pickers to suppress our innate desire to do damage to our skin. I wish I could recall the name of the user who posted the videos.

HTH.

[defre]

yeah therapy can work for this, depends on your personality type I'd say.
Current method of choice for BFRBs (body focused behaviouts like trich and skin picking) is CBT. There are numerous other methods though.

[Silent Void]

I chew the crap out of the inside of my mouth. My co-workers actually thought I was eating boogers. Disgusting. I also chew on my fingers.

[Chika510]

I pick the skin off my lips when they're chapped(which is all the time). Been doing for 13 years. People tend to think I was getting abused or into fights.

[Christina86]

You're definitely not alone. I found that meds for anxiety/depression has helped, as has therapy. I still pick sporadically but I'm less obsessed with it (in general).

[Silent Void]

Originally Posted by Chika510

I pick the skin off my lips when they're chapped(which is all the time). Been doing for 13 years. People tend to think I was getting abused or into fights.

Yeah, I have intense moments when I go after the skin on my lips with a tweezer. I'm addicted to Carmex™, so I'm keeping someone in business anyway.

[markabdon]

I have picked my legs for the llast 15 years or so. I will scracth and itch with anything handy. My mega are covered with active spots. I love to slowly peel a scab off. Also I love to itch them bleeding then rub them with alcohal. I can't stop. The only thing that helps is music. I have my ipod with me everywhere I go.

Mark

[rosska]

You know, until a few days ago, I had no idea this was part of my OCD. I'd never really thought about it in a logical sense I guess. As a kid I was a nail bitter, probably started from anxiety (doesn't everything), then shortly after my dad passed away I noticed I hadn't bitten my nails for a few months but instead I'd started religiously picking at the skin around my nails.

I tear the cuticles back because they look or feel rough, I cut and bite the skin around the sides and across the tops of the nail. Often until they bleed. My fingers actually hurt quite a bit from it but I just always have this sense (might sound stupid) that they 'aren't quite right yet'. I just need to get that one last rough bit off and then I'll sleep, but then that bit tears and makes another rough bit so I have to get the snips out and cut it.

I'm kind of shocked that I didn't realise how obsessive this was and that it's part of the OCD. Currently waiting on a referral to come through for a psychologist to help deal with other aspects of my OCD and other stuff so hopefully they can help with this too.

[RTerroni]

Yes, I pick my scabs all the time.

I've been picking at my face and arms ( and actually wherever my skin is unlevel,when i get nervous) since i began to have acnes.today i was putting some cream on my face when i noticed terrible scars... . i can't say how bad it feels to see this horrible outcome,but i've had other times like this and haven't been able to stop picking yet.but what would change by stopping? i've already ruined my face

[Melodic]

I pick at my face, my fingers, my lips, any lump/bump/dry patch of skin. I also didn't realise it's probably an OCD tendency. Picking really relieves tension and soothes anxiety temporarily..

It's really horrible when it gets bad, I look like a monster. It used to be much worse when I was younger because I didn't realise how bad it was, but somehow I suddenly saw how ugly I had become and did my absolute best to try to stop the face picking. It takes serious conscious effort to not pick at my face, and it is almost unbearable but I have managed to reduce it significantly. I still pick the other things because they are less disfiguring. I am just lucky my face seems to have mostly recovered though it's still far from perfect due to my past habits.

My picking flares up every now and then, but overall it's gotten a lot better face-wise at least. Just trying to stay conscious of it and force yourself to not do it is the only thing I can suggest. :/

[Grey Matter]

Yeah, over here too. I haven't really found a way to get it to easy for myself at this point.

[red61]

I pick my fingers and cuticles till they bleed. I pick sores in my scalp and when they heal I pick them even more. I pick my head for hours. It makes me mad that I do it after I wash my hair but I can't stop. It feels wonderful

[JustAnotherNutter]

This is a thing? I compulsively pick my cuticles. Then I file and oil them so I can start over again. I find that nicotine makes it much worse, although that hasn't changed my nicotine use.

[atomicc]

Yes, I am very much indeed. My legs are a mess but picking and then it scabs and I pick that. It's not too bad, I just really enjoy picking at my skin hah. Good to know I'm not alone!

[ahdm]

I'm the same as Faithless Cat, I squeeze spots on my arms until I see something come out - be it water, puss, or blood. It sounds gross, but it does give me a high.
I also pick the spots on my face. Even when I'm conscious I'm doing it and I should stop, I carry on picking. I think it's because I don't like it being uneven, and I feel like they are protruding 100 times more than they are.
I pick my scalp as well. Either I pick so much that it bleeds, then it heals, then I pick the scabs, or I just pick and scratch the dandruff (this all sounds really gross, so I'm sorry if I make you cringe or want to throw up)

[FaithlessCat]

Gosh no don't apologise is actually relieving to know I'm not the only one who does this. I can't believe I went through 15 years of my life thinking I was the only one who did this. It's kinda a bittersweet revelation. I trying very hard to stay away from picking . I used to roll my eyes at the thought of the rubber band trick. But it actually is working for me !

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[Secretum]

I pick my scalp; like others on here, I pick until it bleeds, let the blood clot, and then pick off the scab. I'm really scared of getting an infection, but it hasn't happened yet.

I've never been dx'd with OCD, but my brother has it, so it's in my genetics. I had OCD symptoms when I was younger, but the skin picking is about all that remains now.

Self harm doesn't soothe me (I've tried cutting for my depression, and it did nothing) so I don't understand why I compulsively pick my skin so much. It doesn't relieve anxiety or make me feel high. I just like the feeling of peeling off a scab, gross as that is!

[FaithlessCat]

Well i can honestly say the thought of cutting myself doesn't appeal to me either. Can't imagine it would do anything for me. I just find myself picking away at my arms quite happily. Oblivious to the damage in causing. Interestingly i don't enjoy picking off the resulting scabs either ...

Sent from my GT-I9505 using Tapatalk

[kimbosquee]

I mostly pick my fingers and cuticles. When there's nothing left, I sometimes go to my big toes and the soles of my feet. I also pick scabs and occasionally flakes of skin from my lips when they are chapped. My fingers are always pink, raw, and rough. Sometimes they will bleed which is when I definitely stop and I am often left with sore fingers that I can barely use. I have to use nail clippers to cut off hanging bits of skin that I know will bleed and hurt if I try to pull it off. If I am not at home, I suck it up and pull it off because I HAVE to pull it off or it bothers me greatly.

I often wonder if it is genetic or a result of my past childhood emotional abuse. My sister plucks her eyelashes (and was never abused) which is of course not the same thing, but obviously in the same category.

[donica_14]

a long time ago I actually picked such a deep hole in my cheek I have a significant scar from it. I finally got scared and went to a doctor and they looked at me like I was a bug, told me to pack the hole with some iodine packing until it got smaller and could close up on its own. I think she should have referred me to a plastic surgeon for the damage, and to a psychiatrist - I admitted I had an extreme compulsion to use tweezers/scissors and felt calmer afterwards. Ignorance I guess. Luckily it is not too noticeable, it looks like a dimple when I smile. It helps that I have very fair skin with a lot of redness in my cheeks, lots of other things to look at. I also have found that I like to pick my face and anything else that is the slightest bit of a bump, then throw up any food I have eaten. So my pattern when I am highly stressed and not doing well is eat a bunch of sugary food, pick, then throw up, then feel immensely calmer and able to sleep. Overall I have gotten beyond this but it does pop up now and again.