Do you think this could be hereditary?

Posted March 19th, 2011 by Lissy
I always thought that I was a lone crazy. Last night, my parents came from a couple of states over to visit. My mom noticed a sore that I've had since last summer when I got a mosquito bite there, and asked what it was from, and I said "Well, it's kind of embarrassing, but I neurotically pick at my skin when I'm watching a movie, or just not thinking about NOT doing it'. I generally try to do it where it's not noticeable. My dad said "Hey! My mom did that too!" I couldn't have learned it by association though, because she died when I was two. Do you think that skin picking could be hereditary? It seems like a weird thing that could be inherited genetically though! I found this forum while searching for the answer to that, I never knew that there were lots of other people with this problem. Personally, I don't think that I'm too bad, I try to not pick at my face. In the summer, if I get mosquito bites or chiggers, my legs are pretty much destroyed for the rest of the summer though, because I literally CAN'T leave the spots alone! I also pick at the dry skin on the back of my arms, that's probably the most embarrassing I think that I pick there because I am subconsciously am trying to hide it, but I'm only hiding it from myself, because everyone else can see!
‹ does anyone else do this? Confused, how do i deal with this. ›
On March 23rd, 2011 startexas said:
Yes- totally family involved. Nature or Nurture? I don't know. My sister picks her face as does my cousin--and my mom goes for her cuticles. I am by far the worst and most neurotic about it all but for lack of any easier way of putting it was main $h!t receptacle in the dysfunctional emo/pschy abusive family and somehow the more "sensitive/ or squeaky wheel" about it. When I am not in contact with any of them I notice the habits tend to subside A LOT and my 'coping skills' improve somehow--only with my exhusband drama (who is 'related' to the whole family story) do I return to the worst of it....
On March 20th, 2011 waylander said:
for me i think this runs in my family, though probably through behaviour rather than genetics. Apparently my gran used to pull at hangnails on her fingers (ow!), and my dad picks at his nails. When i was young i remember my mum picking my brothers' teenage acne, i'm not sure if that was around the time i started picking (- i'm not trying to blame her or anything!). I've recently discovered my sister picks, and her young daughter picks in extremis, so it does seem to be a pattern for us. I think perhaps for my family its a learned behaviour, we see it being done, (maybe like gorillas grooming each other or something) and think its an acceptable part of family life/behaviour. I was told once by a therapist that we try to recreate in our adult life what we had as children (not sure if thats true or not), not necessarily because we liked it, but because thats what we've learned how to deal with, hence finding partners with the best and worst aspects of our parents. I don't know how true it is, but it certainly seems true for me!
For information on the skin picking disorder (Dermatillomania), symptoms, causes and treatment methods, get the Complete Guide to Skin Picking Disorders.