May 2013
57 posts
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“8. DSM-5 creates a slippery slope by introducing the concept of behavioral...”
– Psychiatry’s New Diagnostic Manual: “Don’t Buy It. Don’t Use It. Don’t Teach It.”
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Anonymous asked: Just wondering if you know of anyone else who has to control the urge to get deliberately sunburnt in the summer. I'm ashamed of admitting it but I have done this before (I spent ages thinking about posting this as I don't want to encourage it)
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Disorder of Isolation
While at the TLC conference last month, a speaker said that dermatillomania (and other BFRBs) are a disorder of isolation. There are millions of us, all over the world, struggling with skin picking and trich. Many of us are just sitting at home alone, desperately trying not to pick. Or actually sitting alone at home and picking or pulling.
Derma and trich affect people of all kinds, all around...
unhappyandme asked: I've picked in front of my family before, sometimes they notice, sometimes they don't. Except one time my sister told me to stop picking really rudely and I got mad at her, said she didn't really care. But she told me she did care, she always cared. She said that had to say it that way, she had to get mad at me, or she would start to cry. I try not to pick around her anymore.
Anonymous asked: That's exactly how I feel! Over winter break at home I did purposely pick my arms in the same room as my parents...I feel kind of dumb for wanting to be noticed but what you said makes sense. Like clearly I don't want to be made fun of if I wear a tank top, but if I expose my arms and my mom says something, maybe that can start a conversation. I don't know why I'm so afraid or...
“Picture yourself when you were five. In fact, dig out a photo of little you at...”
– Kris Carr (via martaunderthesea)
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Tips from a non-mirror picker
realityhitme:
I know for me one of the biggest frustrations in seeing tips for resisting/stopping picking is when I see things involving mirrors. I don’t need mirrors to pick. I’m not the kind of picker that holes up in front of the bathroom mirror for hours picking away at my skin. I can and do pick anywhere, anytime and so a tip like, “cover the mirrors” or “dim the lights” just doesn’t work...
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Mental Grounding Exercises
mentalillnessmouse:
- Describe your environment in detail, using all your senses - for example, “The walls are white; there are five pink chairs; there is a wooden bookshelf against the wall…” Describe objects, sounds, textures, colors, smells, shapes, numbers, and the temperature. You can do this anywhere.
- Play a “categories” game with yourself. Try to think of “types of dogs,” “jazz...
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Physical Grounding Exercises
mentalillnessmouse:
- Run cool or warm water over your hands
- Grab tightly onto your chair as hard as you can
- Touch various objects around you: a pen, keys, your clothing, the wall…
- Dig your heels into the floor- literally “grounding” them. Notice the tension centered in your heels as you do this. Remind yourself that you are connected to the ground.
- Carry a grounding object in your...
Anonymous asked: I mostly just mentioned the OCD because that's what made my mother stop asking :) I've never really discussed derma with her, and up until I discovered it was a thing I just attributed the picking to OCD. It just seems easier to not explain.
booksfashionfangirl asked: Huh, I didn't know people picked in that many places. I only pick my fingers. I know a friend of mine picks her scalp but don't other areas like that hurt a lot? Like, I've always just done my fingers and I couldn't imagine the pain in other spots. Occasionally my lip is bad but other than that, nothing else. What about you? If you don't mind me asking.x
Anonymous asked: I've been picking since I was really little (I've had OCDish behavior since I was a toddler, but wasn't diagnosed till a few years ago. I'm 23 now) and I remember being told not to pick a lot. It didn't seem like a big deal to me and I'd pick in front of parents/family/friends. I started hiding it in around middle school, but stopped after a few years. I used to get a...
Anonymous asked: Did anyone point out that your scars were looking bad before they knew you had derma? I am 20 years old and have picked my skin for a long time. I can remember some instances as a child being told to stop picking at my arms, but neither of my parents has mentioned it in years. But I know my arms look BAD, red spots and scars all over. Part of me is asking myself "Why don't they say...
adisorderedlife asked: I have known for a long time that my picking is out of control: constantly occurring, picking in public, bleeding, scaring, and getting infections I have to take antibiotics for. Knowing that that it is infected hasn't stopped me from picking at it. Yet I am still reluctant to seek help for it because I don't want anymore meds and I feel like other issues are burning...
Anonymous asked: OH I'M SO HAPPY I HAD TO TELL SOMEONE! I finally got up the courage to tell my parents about my derma, and I found a treatment center that can help. I also discovered that if you rub a t a bandaid over where you want to pick, it helps!
Anonymous asked: I liked how this was said, "One of the most effective CBT developments for the treatment of Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. The primary goal of Mindfulness-Based CBT is to learn to non-judgmentally accept uncomfortable psychological experiences. From a mindfulness perspective, much of our psychological distress is the result of...
Anonymous asked: I've known picking is an issue for me, ever since I was little kid. Over the past few years (as life has gotten to a point where I feel I have no control) the picking has gotten out of control. I figured it was a way of self-injury so I looked it up and in a way found relief that I'm not the only one of few who do this. I didn't know about fidget toys, but I've used tearing...
teenagdermatillomaniac:
I really need someone to talk to but I don’t know who vv
Hi there, I can’t find your ask button/page. But just wanted you to know you can talk to me at any time. Email might be best, but you can start out with my ask. Ok, take care!
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Anonymous asked: The best thing I ever did for my KP was buy a loofa. A good quick scrub every few days has helped tremendously in lessening the amount of spots I have. They're still there, but it's easier to ignore them.
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Anonymous asked: To the anon with keratosis, unfortunately there is no easy treatment yet. but it clears up later in life and you can treat it by using a lufa and and a special kind of lotion (also shaving helps as a lot of the bumps are from ingrown hairs). It's hard to get rid of but not impossible. I've had it for years and i've yet to find a better treatment. You might be able to find better...
Anonymous asked: After reading your last post, I finally found out what those red bumps on my arms were: keratosis pilaris. I've combed through every skin condition for the past 5 years and now I finally know whats going on. Of course, this only worsens my derma, but Im relieved that I know the name and can hopefully get some treatment for it.
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My Day at the TLC Conference
A few weeks ago I attended the Trichotillomania Learning Center’s conference in New Jersey, my first time ever attending this show. I must admit, I was a bit worried about attending because of the shame and secrecy I have over picking. I’ve been anonymous on this blog forever, and I I wasn’t sure things would be when I showed up in person. I figured I would be in a safe...
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Anonymous asked: is it weird to pick at your skin and then eat it? I just can't help it, but I can't stop
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“The COMB Model has been used by the TLC and some providers with some success for...”
– stop hair pulling, skin picking and other behaviors with BFRB Coaching - blog of skin picking and hair pulling advice and inspiration
I wrote (another) guest post over at Annette Pasternak’s blog, this one focusing on a session I attended at the TLC Conference. Check it out if you’re...
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reality just hit.: When it comes to being a voice... →
realityhitme:
When it comes to being a voice for dermatillomania, I’m actually really conflicted. A lot of the time, I’m really gung-ho about it. I want to be a voice and fill the void that I felt when I was younger with this disorder. I want to be the voice that was never there for me, which left me feeling…
I totally understand what you’re talking about. I guess I feel burnt out...
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booksfashionfangirl asked: Got my nails done! They look so pretty and I'm scared to ruin them, so no picking there! But then there's my lip..😁
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“Flores makes the analogy that the strong temptation to pick her skin is like...”
– When you can’t stop pick, pick, picking at your skin - The Body Odd
Something that helped me for a while-
skin-picker:
Each day I would look in the mirror and tell myself firmly “this is not going to be the day that I pick”. I took it one day at a time and before I knew it, it was weeks since I last picked. This helped me for a while until I got really stressed and picked again. I think if I combined this with other things (finding a productive hobby, taking care of my skin), it will help me for a...
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The thought process
negligiblescars:
ugh this scab
ugh i want it off
ugh surface area is getting bigger
ugh what if i put a bandaid on
ugh what if i put it on after i pick
ugh i want it off
ugh its off now it stings
ugh why’d i do that
shoud’ve put on that bandaid…..
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Anonymous asked: Have you ever heard of someone with derma picking their toe nails out entirely? I know I have derma but I'm worried this is another problem I don't know about and it's totally out of control :(
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Anonymous asked: I think my arm is infected, what do I do???
Some not-so-common tips
dermatillomaniac:
Hey Katie…I was so happy to stumble upon this blog. I am also 26 years old and have been struggling with this extremely painful condition since I was about thirteen. I was once at a point where I was picking 3+ hours a day and completely incapable of any normal activity… Now I believe i’ve come as far as one can hope with this disorder, its a very minimal component of my life....
justbehindtheveil asked: I painted my nails last night for a party and it stopped me picking my skin because I didn't want my nails to chip :)
“In the book Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions, psychologist...”
– Heal By Writing About Your Trauma | Psychology Today
How to Overcome Emotional Numbness
onlinecounsellingcollege:
Emotional numbness is where we experience mild to severe feelings of detachment – so it’s hard for us to access normal feelings any more. This includes both negative and positive emotions as you can’t decide to shut just one feeling off. Common causes of emotional numbness include different stresses or traumas … from receiving bad news … to being in an accident … to...
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Anonymous asked: I wanted to thank you for this site. Ive been picking for years & I never realised it was a problem until recently. Sometimes I feel like I just go into a trance when I'm in front of the mirror and I don't realise what I have done until much later. I suffer from anxiety and, like you, I believe that I may be repressing childhood abuse, when I read that you had a feeling of abuse, but...
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Anonymous asked: Going to the bathroom is one of my big triggers as well and I always wear a sweater when I go even if it's warm, because then I take I take it off and lay it on my lap to cover my legs. Which sounds really weird but I find covering where I pick to be really helpful because I can't see it and start seeing those perfect spots so it doesn't start the cycle. Also it keeps my legs toasty...
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Dermatillomania poem.
mellowhell0:
A cover so sickeningly beautiful.
Thoughts are faster than a train.
Looking at the cover you can plainly see the pain.
Would you want a cover so bad?
That may make others sick or sad?
The urges to dig and pull
almost like a miner without all the dirt.
The summer is filled with hot days and warm nights.
Though the cover must be hidden;
It might give others a fright.
A...
