[englishteacher]

Over the past year, I've found that I scratch unconsciously until I open the skin. I honestly don't realize I'm doing it until I'm bleeding. Is this a form of self-injury? If so, that's scary. I don't enjoy pain. I don't want to hurt myself. I am not doing it to control pain or express pain or ...well, I don't know why I'm compelled to scratch the same spot of skin obsessively...it itches. I use lotion. It's not like my skin is super-dry or anything. Sometimes it keeps itching after I start bleeding. The only thing that makes me stop scratching is seeing the blood. Why?

Scratching until you draw blood is SI. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/sel...5/METHOD=print

Why do you think you do it?

[englishteacher]

Well, I don't do it as much as I did when I was teaching high school. I did it mostly when I was in class. I'd be lecturing and scratching...so I guess it was tension and frustration related to the job. Now that I think of it, I hadn't been doing it since I lost that job, but I noticed I was doing it again recently. I guess that means it's stress, tension related.

I hated teaching high school. I'm a college prof. I've been teaching college for 10 years, but I can't get full time employment at the local college. I wanted to better our finances, so I enrolled in a certification program, got my teaching certificate and got a job teaching high school. It was a really bad fit for me. I am an excellent English teacher. I really have a talent for helping people learn to improve their writing skills. Part of that talent is because I truly care for my students, which shows - and motivates them to do well. Unfortunately, teaching high school is a lot more about babysitting and standardized tests and NOT getting too close to students. My contract was not renewed after my second year. I never got an answer why. I asked, but I was told it was in the best interest of the district. I was never written up or reprimanded for anything during the two years I was there. Being me, I took that to mean I was a failure. That was almost a year ago now. I'm teaching at the local community college - part time again - crappy pay ($15,000 a year), no insurance, no job security. But that's a whole different problem.

[Miracle1986]

I am scratcher too.
You are not alone.