Does anyone else have this issue?

ok, I have an issue that I can't seem to stop. It's weird and I dont know if anyone else does this!
I pick at myself.
like I pull my eyelashes, and bite my nails and I have little bumps on my arms that I can't stop picking at. I pull the hair (when I have any) on my legs, and I HATE ingrown hairs, I have to pull them out! If I ever have a zit (and it's rare) I have to pop it! I know its yucky! I pull on my hair too... I mean it's weird. And I drive my boyfriend nuts becasue If he has a zit or an ingrown hair all I want to do is take care of it for him, yes ew. I agree. but he yells "stop picking at me" when I do it, so I try not to.
But I can really only compair it to monkeys. YOu know how monkeys pick at each other to calm down or its like social thing. It calms me down.
I havn't ever talked to anyone. I figured who do I talk to and they would just tell me to stop. I have been pulling my eye lashes since 3rd or 4th grade. My mom asked me if I was pulling them and I denied it so she took me to the doc and said I was stressed. I still do it to this day. I'm 25 years old. And I do have a friend that pulls her eyebrows, but thats the extent of it as far as I know. Has anyone else had this issue or know what it's all about?
just thought I would see....

(((( saru ))))

Have you ever read anything on Impulse Control Disorders like Trichotillomania (pulling hair) or Dermatillomania? (skin picking)

You might find some helpful websites with more info if you Google them.

Therapists can help you with this.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dermatillomania

hi,
yes I have heard of Trichotillomania, but I thought people with that pulled the hair to get the roots and ate them or something ( don't do that). maybe I am wrong.. I'll will check into it some more.
Thanks!

Not all that suffer from Trichotillomania do that. Trichophagia is what you're thinking of.

Hey I do that too! I pull my eyelashes and my eyebrows out. And I pick the bumps on my arms and pimples. I don't chew my nails though. Haha so I'm not alone yay

I do a lot of those things too. I unconsciously pick at my skin all the time and I have Trichotillomania, which means I pull out my hair (I don't pull my lashes, although its a common spot for trich). Here's a good site about Trichotillomania if you're interested:
www.trich.com
Unfortunately, I don't know a lot about the skin picking although I've heard that many people who have trich also pick their skin.

You're definitely not alone in this, there are many people out there who do the same things as you do (including me )

Hugs,
Sarah

http://www.stoppickingonme.com/

i also have trich. I pull pretty much anywhere there is hair. I would like to get to know you more if possible. I often feel like I am the only one with this problem. Nice to meet you

Kat

yea they are really common they are called
obsessive compulsive disorder or something..
maybe not that bad but some sort of obsession.

Nice to meet you too Kat.
Well it's good to know I am not the only one doing this! I'm trying hard to not do it, but man is it hard!

i do that especially with eyelashes. it's a real problem, disfiguring. for a while i had to do fake eyelashes with the occasional embarrassing mishap (like you find one glued to your nose.)

it's gotten better since OCD treatment but not gone. i don't know how to make it stop for good.

the pdoc told me that trich was no longer considered to be related to OCD but was more of an impulse-control problem. but also it was common to a lot of people with OCD.

anyway. yes it's a big, yucky club!

Yeah, that sucks! I think my whole thing started with my eyelashes. I still do it, but I try not too!

Hi Saru,

Gosh, you're post could be my post, I do exactly the same things. My ex used to get driven nuts by my picking on him. I could do it for hours. I often did as a child. I pick out my eyelashes, eyebrows (though I tend to favor my left one). You're definitely not alone. It's definitely a form of OCD and trich. There is medication for it. I know for me Luvox helped immensely. I took that for over three years. I stopped taking it a couple months ago and the trich stuff seems to have stayed away. Hope that helps,
Tara

Thanks Tara! I think I'll see about looking into those meds. I hate taking medication when I don't really have to take it though...
But if it seems that you only took it for a while and now that you don't and things seem better maybe it will be a good thing. Thanks again.

Hi Saru,
I also have a pulling issue. I started pulling around age 7 and I am 40 now. I go through times where it isnt quite as bad, but it is always there. At the moment I am having a hard time controlling it. Not sure why it's worse at some times then others but thats how it is for me. Hope you are doing better with it.