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rm88 , 05 Aug 2010

want to quit..please help

Hey...I'm a 22 yr old female and i have been picking since i was three years old...i have tried to quit countless times and have failed each time....i have great friends and family but no one can really understand what and why i pick so they cant really provide proper understanding and support for the issue....im so tired of having sores all over my body and continually scaring my body....i dont even know how to begin to stop...ive tried many diferent ways such as cutting my nails, wearing gloves, using bandaids, using skin mostuizing creams, getting fake nails, wearing long pants and long sleeves all the time to cover the area up...i know that im picking but somewhere inside me kind of takes ver and no matter what i cant stop even though its painful and the long term efects are terrible....nobody i know does this so its makes it even more difficult....my parents never had a great relationship when i was a child and went through a harsh seperation and divorce...this began when i was 3 which is when my picking began also...i am an only child and was constantly placed in the middle....im sure that this is instigator of my picking...i also pick more that usual when i am dealing with high stress or anxiety....im also not happy wth my body image in general and am trying to improve it but i have a feeling that contributes to it as well..it is also amplified in the summer when mosquitos are in season...all i want to do is stop picking for good and to never have to deal with this again....if anyone can share their thoughts, suggestions or ideas to help me with this or help me comphrehend what is going on, i would appreciate it very much! Thanks!
7 Answers
VABBY22
August 05, 2010
Hey girl- I know exactly how you feel. I came on this forum tonight because I picked my face so badly I bled a bit. It feels so hopeless. I just started reading a lot on this. I graduated with a degree in Psychology with an emphasis in Clinical with a lot of research background. So I thought I would look into this more. I almost feel like one of the best things we can do are possibly seeing a Psychotherapist. I know this compulsion is driven by my stress and sometimes unhappiness in life, which I think makes a lot of sense. We pick to rid ourselves of certain feelings, or to suppress them. One thing I can tell you that really did help me even out a little more to the point I was feeling a lot better is getting the supplement called 5-HTP. You can find it any any Whole Foods or natural grocery market. It helps with serotonin production which really helps you stay in a happier state. I have had chronic migraines for over nine years and have also just recently been getting a severe case of TMJ fixed, and during this time it has gotten even worse. I feel pretty ugly most of the time. I want to decrease my massive face washing and picking compulsions. We just may need to tap more into ourselves. I hope this will perhaps help you. It's good to talk about.
mpwy92
August 05, 2010

In reply to by VABBY22

Seeing a a professional if you have the means definitely sounds like a good idea. There's a list here somewhere on the site of doctors and counselors who treat this condition. I would want to see the guy who's here in AZ, but he doesn't accept insurance, and I wouldn't be able to afford it.
rm88
August 05, 2010

In reply to by VABBY22

Thanks for replying to my post!....its reassuring to hear that other people are struggling with the same thing i am.....il have to have a ook for this 5-htp and give it a try...honestly at this point il do anything to solve the problem....im sure your not ugly!! its just something we have to deal with and hopefuly like me with the right suport and plan we can both figure it out...im just uber frustrated and it feels like ive dug myself in a whole 10 feet down and cant quite figure out how to get out....im so glad i found this site though to chat with others who have the same issue...thanks again!...if u ever need to chat im here!
VABBY22
August 05, 2010

In reply to by rm88

I am 22 as well, so we are the same age with the same issue. Trust me, I will do anything to solve my problem as well. I was thinking about trying to treat this just as any other form of OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)- use Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. I am going to take my nightly rituals and cut them in half in means of time. I am going to set a stop watch for the amount of time I want and no matter how anxious I am, I will stop picking and leave the bathroom. I am not sure how this will turn out, but I am going to try. I am starting to see the massive scars I have given myself from this and I don't want to experience this anymore. My diet is a very good one, so I should have no excuse to think I will break out every single day if I don't pick. Do you focus on your face? I want this to be gone. I hate it so much. I am moody all the time it seems. I have no idea how my boyfriend is even still with me (thank god he is, or I would feel just so awful and alone)... I am here to talk too- Anytime.
mpwy92
August 05, 2010
I have not been able to be completely "sober" for over a day. Today I've managed to pick only one time, and it was a zit that needed to be popped anyway. But I'm fighting right here with you. I completely understand what goes on in your head when you want to do this. You might think, "Oh just this one spot, ok just one more" and it turns into hundreds, and thousands. I've only been picking for a couple years, and it's only on my arms and chest (thankfully) but I get the uncontrollable urge. I also understand this to be a vicious cycle. 1. You're unhappy, or nervous, so you pick --> You're unhappy because you picked, so you pick again. --> and repeat. I'm here to fight with you. To talk to you. To listen, to help, and hopefully be helped. I bought some palmers cocoabutter formula in the tub today at CVS. It feels so nice on the skin. I also bought the cocoabutter and vitamin E oil, which is supposed to help scarring as well. Someone gave me some advice earlier. Look in mirrors as little as possible. If you feel the urge to pick, go paint your nails, and keep painting them so that they take a really long time to dry so that you don't want to ruin them. Spread vaseline all over the areas where you want to pick. It lubricates and protects the area so you can't get a grab on and cause damage. Try squeezing a stress ball. When you feel overwhelmed, recognize the urge to pick and think of a different way to relax. Take a warm, candle-lit bath (so that you don't see your skin so well.) Put in some bath oil (like the palmer's oil) which will relax you and heal your skin a little. Keep telling yourself, "I deserve beautiful skin. I will have beautiful skin." Practically hypnotize yourself so that you believe it. I hope some of these tips might help. I'm here with ya!

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