picking/eating

I'm in my 20's and i've been picking since i was little. I also eat what i pick. I mainly pick on my torso, sometimes on my legs and arms. Not so much on my face but i do pick on my scalp and hairline. A few years back i had a rash, that did not help my picking. It was mostly dry skin i believe. I'd scratch till it scabbed over then I'd peel it off. (that sound disgusting). I usually do eat what I pick. I used to think it was just something I did till not too long ago a friend of mine told me he did it too. So i've been looking into it.

I am in my 20s and I do the same thing. its quite embarassing. walking around people looking at you. thinking ya must have some sexually transmitted disease or some drug habit. I myself come from a bad childhood. i was abused. my father commit suicide. everything in my past is all depressing i cannot even say a thing in my past that was a happy thought. this 'thing' started as a child and my mother put mittens on my hands to stop me from doin it. it didnt work. Ive had tests done cos i thought it may be skin mites or excema thats gone horribly bad. or even a disease. and tests all come back negative... So its purely self inflicted. I do it when i sleep. i do it while im laying in bed tryin to get to sleep. i do it every single day.. i cannot stop I do not wear skirts or shorts cos of sores and scars. I dont go a day without makeup. even though it makes it look sometimes worse.. but i have to wear it to cover up the redness and bruiseness ive done to myself And i understand exactly about the cycle your talking about, i get depressed so i pick.. then im depressed about the picking. then i pick more cos im depressed about the picking and keeps going round n round certain areas will heal and then ill start on a new area. that area will get bad. and then onto the next and so n so... I dont have an answer. cos i still do it... but i think. Its how we deal with our stress. but it is nice to hear i am not abnormal. and on my own. even though where i live. i kinda do get looked at funny being a small town. and it does make me feel alone I am gona try and kick this habit. I think i will spend more time around people. more time excersizing. cos i am slightly overweight. and try to occupy myself to the most i can... Cos if i am doing something. itll keep me from sitting and scracthing at myself

I'm don't have a severe case of skin picking, but I have a method to keep myself from picking all the time. Every morning I check to see how long my fingernails are and if I can see the nail longer than the tip of my finger I cut it. Then when I feel compulsed to pick I don't have the nails to do it. Of course there are ways around it but it acts as an alert when you try to pick so you can stop yourself. Hopefully this helps. -Biscuit