Open main menu ☰
HealingWell
Search Close Search
Health Conditions
Allergies Alzheimer's Disease Anxiety & Panic Disorders Arthritis Breast Cancer Chronic Illness Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes
Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Migraine Headache Multiple Sclerosis Prostate Cancer Ulcerative Colitis

View Conditions A to Z »
Support Forums
Anxiety & Panic Disorders Bipolar Disorder Breast Cancer Chronic Pain Crohn's Disease Depression Diabetes Fibromyalgia GERD & Acid Reflux
Hepatitis Irritable Bowel Syndrome Lupus Lyme Disease Multiple Sclerosis Ostomies Prostate Cancer Rheumatoid Arthritis Ulcerative Colitis

View Forums A to Z »
Log In
Join Us
Close main menu ×
  • Home
  • Health Conditions
    • All Conditions
    • Allergies
    • Alzheimer's Disease
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Arthritis
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Illness
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Migraine Headache
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Support Forums
    • All Forums
    • Anxiety & Panic Disorders
    • Bipolar Disorder
    • Breast Cancer
    • Chronic Pain
    • Crohn's Disease
    • Depression
    • Diabetes
    • Fibromyalgia
    • GERD & Acid Reflux
    • Hepatitis
    • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
    • Lupus
    • Lyme Disease
    • Multiple Sclerosis
    • Ostomies
    • Prostate Cancer
    • Rheumatoid Arthritis
    • Ulcerative Colitis
  • Log In
  • Join Us
Join Us
☰
Forum Home| Forum Rules| Moderators| Active Topics| Help| Log In

Insane skin picking

Support Forums
>
Bipolar Disorder
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
profile picture
Angelwolf
New Member
Joined : Nov 2013
Posts : 1
Posted 11/4/2013 8:45 AM (GMT -8)
Hello, My name is Starr. I have Scitzoaffective/Bipolar disorder, GAD, Panic attacks, Some OCD tendencies, some depression, thyroid disorder, back problems, IBS. I'm on Latuda, Propranolol for my panic attacks, thyroid medicine, Klonopin, IBS meds, Trazadone, Tramadol, and Flexaril.

I have a bad bad habit of picking my skin. Any scab or bump I have to pick. Impulsively. My skin has to feel smooth. And it makes me feel better. I pick the small bumps on my thigh, bumps on my legs, my face, anywhere it is, I have to pick or pick and squeeze till I get it all gone and my skin is smooth again. This is something I do very often because the scabs of course re-appear. I bite my skin around my nails sometimes bringing blood. I also have pica. I'm ashamed to say it but I eat the skin around my nails and such. Please don't respond meanly to me about it. I know it's gross.

My thing is, I do this sometimes without realizing it, the skin picking, It's like i'm unconsciously doing it. Everytime of course I leave bad places on me. Scars up my arm, that thankfully do fade after awhile. My face I try not to pick but it always happens. I have one on my face that I've picking till it's nothing but a flat red place. Same thing with the two under my chin. I'm sure my legs have a few too.

I don't believe these text book answers to fixing this. Meditating. HA! Reversal of bad habits. HA! Therapy. HA! Nothing has worked. I'm a little more aware of it, but don't want to stop. I've done it since I was a child.

IS there anything else I can try to stop this? As much as I love it, I don't need to. I keep a place in my scalp if i can so it doesn't show. I kept one scab going for an entire year on my scalp by picking, Then busting it open again so it would form another scab. First thing in the morning that what I'd do before even getting out of bed. It's pretty bad. But I don't have scabs and scars everywhere. I try to keep it where people can't see. These on my face embarrasses me.

Please some one has to know some ways to get myself to STOP this insanity!

Anyone?

Post Edited (Angelwolf) : 11/4/2013 10:26:33 AM (GMT-7)

profile picture
Living Well
Veteran Member
Joined : Feb 2011
Posts : 1276
Posted 11/4/2013 5:21 PM (GMT -8)
Welcome Starr,

It seems more like a OCD trait than a bipolar trait, but that said, there is no harm in brainstorming possilbe solutions.

People have urges to do a lot of destructive things a lot of the time and usually get so kind of relief from following destructive urges through. Eventually the consequences start to outweight short term relief and we have to re-examine our behaviours to live a life more in line with what we most value. There is no need to feel like a freak. Billions of people end up with short term pleasant activities turning into harmful addictions!

Firstly don't ever try to not want to do it - you need to accept that urge will be with you for life. Urges are something the billions of other addicts in the world need to manage on a day to day basis. Don't fall for the trap in thinking that anything will take those urges away, instead you have to build your capacity to manage the urges.

Like finding any new coping strategy you have to try on a lot to see what is most effective for you. Also what you regard as "success" may need to be re-evaluated. If you have been doing this since a child a slight reduction in frequency, body area, and intensity may be what is realistic success for you.

In terms of brainstorming alternative sensations that may help you "urge surf", some things you might like to experiment to see if they can be used as the occasional "instead" activities that we are looking for. Strong sensations are usually the most distracting; sex, dancing vigourously to very loud music, holding ice in your hand for as long as you can stand it, have a hot shower. Given that you have an obsession with smoothness, maybe even purchasing some of the smoothest textured fabric you can find and using that as comfort for your sense of touch. Because smoothness is something you relate to your skin, possibly feeling the fabric over you skin may help. There are NO cures for this sort of thing; just activities that help divert us from the actions that make us feel good temporarily but cause greater long term problems in our life.

Most compulsive behaviour caused by a genetic predisposition to it as well as some environmental trigger. Having a multi-pronged approach for multi-pronged causations to my mind is the only sensible way to proceed. The activities you describe as useless actually do help mitigate these issues but they are a daily exercises; strengths that build up over time. No one expects to lose 20kg in one gym session. We know it takes a combination of a sensible, balanced diet, treatment of any impacting illnesses, and long term commitment. Strengthening our mental health and urge management is no different. Furthermore, some people are not designed to lose 20kg. While they may want to lose 20kg, their body cannot lose more than 10kg. For those people losing 10kg is absolute success and they need to rejoice in that. Hope you can follow my analogies.

Sometimes our definition of "success" is what needs altering.
Sometimes wishing for the eradication of urges is completely unrealistic esp for urges that stem back to childhood.
Sometime accepting each urge while managing it the best we can, each urge at a time is our own personal miracle that needs to be celebrated on an urge by urge basis.

If there isn't a OCD forum, you may find anxiety forum a good place to hang out. Bipolar forum is notoriously slow and anxiety forum is very active and vital.

Good luck and a warm welcome to HW!

Jade xo
profile picture
Recoveryme2day
Regular Member
Joined : Jul 2012
Posts : 335
Posted 11/7/2013 9:13 PM (GMT -8)
Yes Angelwolf unfortunately like any other addiction you have to Want to quit before any therapy can work. The second think is you have to be Willing to do is whatever is necessary to break the chain. I wish you the best on your journey, keep in touch.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply


More On Chronic Illness

Growing Through Adversity

Growing Through Adversity

4 Ways To Help Loved Ones Cope With Your Illness

4 Ways To Help Loved Ones Cope With Your Illness


HealingWell

About Us  |   Advertise  |   Subscribe  |   Privacy & Disclaimer
Connect With Us
Facebook Twitter Instagram Pinterest LinkedIn
© 1997-2023 HealingWell.com LLC All Rights Reserved. Our website is for informational purposes only. HealingWell.com LLC does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.