[ArcheM]

First, for skin picking I've realized that I've managed to occupy my hands for a long time with, essentially, writing, although not in the common sense, because with that I'd have to constantly stop to think and start picking. Instead, I'm studying a foreign language by reading a book and writing down words I don't know and their definitions in a notebook. I started almost cold-turkey, so I have to stop and write very often. Which can be frustrating, but my hands have definitely been getting better.

Second, I've been taking long walks with podcasts. I guess I used to do this with audiobooks, but those just don't work for me. One reason is that I need a group of voices, otherwise I get bored, and the vast majority of audiobooks has one narrator. Plus they come out with much less frequently (not to mention the cost)... Also, my podcasts are in foreign languages, and I'm not sure my native language would work as well, or I would get bored.

Essentially, what it's been taking is overwhelming pressure on my hands (I also suspect I might have dysgraphia) and on my mind.

At the very least, the book should last for a couple months, and it's in a series, which is what it might take to reverse the skin-picking habit (if that's how it works). Although I'm hesitant to go to "Success Stories" since I'm still far from there.

[Shazerac]

Sounds like you are doing great is there some kind of craft or hobby that you could take up that involves your hands. assembling a model? Something along those lines.

I don't know if you are a male of female. I took up crocheting and knitting to keep my hands busy. I used to pick at my cuticles until they bled. That helped me break the habit.

[ArcheM]

I'm from the other side of traditional gender activities... :P

There are things that I like doing, but the one I've described has been by far the best. I feel like it's a mixture of intense concentration with almost constant manual work (I guess it's similar to video games, but without the background feeling of wasting my time). Other things I can think of would actually require change between manual work and critical examination of the result, which would increase my anxiety and put a dangerous pause in there.

There's a problem that I'm trying to find my way to either writing a story or making a story in videogame form, and those genres are heavy on critical examination and anxiety. And I feel I can't allow myself to go look for additional hobbies completely out of the left field.