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erised , 05 Dec 2011

Telling your significant other?

Hey guys, I'm new here. I just made my first post on the "school anxiety" thread. I am 19 years old. I used to pick my back avidly when I was much younger but thankfully (seriously, so grateful) I somehow escaped that. I still pick my face, especially my nose and chin. Unfortunately, my cheekbones have become a target in the last few months and they never were before. I also pick my shoulders and chest. Sometimes when I attempt to make a pact with myself to leave my face alone, I end up going after my chest/shoulders much more, to appease the withdrawal symptoms of leaving my face alone. That is really discouraging because it's like an up and down battle, you know? I try to quit and I'll have a string of good days but then I just crack. So it's a cycle of clear skin and red-marked skin. I've been picking for years and years and have been hiding it as best I can, but having a significant other adds a whole new layer to the issue. I've had a boyfriend for over two years. I feel like for the majority of our relationship, my picking has been a LOT better compared to years past. Perhaps knowing you'll be naked in front of someone else on a regular basis is good motivation? ;) It's really helpful to have someone to look good for. This semester we're apart, however, and that is just one of the stresses in my life right now. I have never told him (nor anyone) about my skin picking problem but I've been thinking about it a lot lately because my picking has spiraled back towards the severity of the old days. I know he'll be very understanding and supportive, and I actually think he might suspect it a little (though pretty sure he has no idea how bad it is)... but it's SO hard to admit to, you know? I just feel really ashamed and embarrassed and any description I can think of for the issue sounds gross. I know I won't repulse him but it will still take a lot of courage to open up about this. After all, it's been a "secret" of mine for many years. Sure, it may not be so discrete, but I've certainly never SPOKEN to any soul about it. in the first winter of our relationship, he did notice red marks all over my shoulders. Back then my shoulders and arms would be particularly bad in the wintertime because I would use the long sleeve clothing as an excuse to pick hidden skin more. I'd reward myself for staying away from my face by picking at what the public couldn't see. When he noticed he was shocked and asked what was happening to me. He was so worried and asked if something was biting me! He thought they were bug bites or something. I got quiet and just covered up and said "I don't know." I could tell it really bothered him (not in a disgusted way, but rather a protective way) but he followed my signal and dropped it. That episode was enough of a jolt for me to get better and as I said earlier in the post, for the most part I've been doing REALLY well during our relationship. But we're apart now and I pick in between visits and feel awful when I look at myself in the mirror and am constantly making time tables in my head of "will you be healed by the next time you see him?" Recently, he spotted a scab on my chest and said "Did you do that?" and I admitted "Yes" very quickly (since I am toying with telling him about my problem) and he said "you can't do that!" and I said "I know" and then quickly changed the subject. So I guess he suspects? I hate all the red marks I'm causing around and above my breasts. I want to feel pretty. I pass other girls on my way to classes and envy their clear skin. ...........PHEW LONG POST ...... I just wanted to know about you guys' experiences with significant others knowing or not knowing about your problem. Anyone struggling to tell their boyfriend/girlfriend or going to great lengths to keep it from them? Anyone have a story about opening up to your significant other about your problem?
7 Answers
CollegeGal101
December 05, 2011
Hey! I am a college student who is also a "skin-picker." I have been doing it ever since I got to college, and I have been dating my boyfriend for three years or so. I used to say to people ahhh my acne is so bad, but really I had picked my face. However, there were sometimes when I believed it was acne or something was wrong with my skin. My boyfriend actually said to me you don't have acne it's because you pick at it, and I would get defensive and say you don't know what it's like to have bad skin. He doesn't understand how someone who is very attractive can purposely make themselves look bad. I tell my friends that I do this and they just say "stopppp! your gonna end up getting scars!" but they are honest and nice about it. It really hit me when my friend took me aside and said "you really need to stop this, like I'm serious, it's really really bad." I needed to hear that because I always convinced myself that other people didn't think that it was that noticable. When I do pick, I always go out and buy everything under the sun to help heal it in time before I see my boyfriend again. However, it is fairly obvious to someone who is so close to your face. Finally, after numerous fights over it; my boyfriend said honestly it is disgusting... you are going to ruin your fucking face for good." That really hit me... but I did it again numerous times afterwards. I've been refraining from picking just repeating what they said in my head when I feel the need to do it. Now I try not to go in the bathroom to look in the mirror every five secs., so I think the fact that people around me know the problem DEFINITELY helps me fight the problem. I hope you ( me too ) can kick the habit because we need to know that not everyone is so accepting of it, and the consequences mental and physical could be drastic. I don't want to scare you but what i've learned is that we need to be scared... bc it is scary. But it is also not too late to stop. I've done MAJOR damage ( infections, etc) before but now I just have a few scars that are fading luckily. Good Luck! and you can do it!
erised
December 06, 2011

In reply to by CollegeGal101

Thank you for replying! I have never claimed to anyone that my marks are acne... but I have always kind of hoped that that's what they think when my skin is at its worst. Like, "oh, she has bad skin, she can't help it" is more sympathetic than "she's doing that to her face." As you said -- and as I would guess -- people without our problem can't imagine why we'd inflict it on our pretty faces. We're pretty. We would have nice skin if it weren't for this. It KILLS me to think of how much better I could have looked in middle school and high school if it weren't for this. There were tons of kids out there who were unfortunate enough to actually have acne, wishing their marks would go away, and there I was CAUSING my own red marks. It makes me feel so ashamed and guilty. I am really glad that your friends are honest with you and that you can talk to them about this. I have never told any of my friends about my problem and none of them have ever said anything to me. I don't think they even suspect. My mother can tell that I'm causing the red marks but I'm not sure if she understands that I can't help myself or not. Like your friends and boyfriend, she admonishes that I'll cause permanent scars. But her scolds were never enough to make me stop. As I said in my post, having a boyfriend has improved my behavior. I have been doing so much better these last 2 years, compared to the 4 years before them. I would cave occasionally but it was much less routine than before. But this semester... I don't know. My stress level is SO high and I've just really been going at my skin. This relapse has caused me to really stop and reflect. I'm so mad at myself and I really want to stop this. It made me do an internet search. Now I've found this forum. And now I've come to the realization that I need counseling for this and other anxieties/compulsive behaviors. It's a start! I'm so glad that you're getting better and that you have people that care about you. I hope your boyfriend is supportive (if not, dump his ass! hah). I believe in you and I believe in myself and I think we just need to keep trying because it's worth it. As you said, the risk of severe damage is very real. Thanks for posting!
erised
December 11, 2011
Bumping this thread, in case it still has a chance of getting noticed by one or two more people! I really want to hear about people's experience telling their significant others about their picking... or even telling friends!
mirrorwarrior
December 16, 2011
My boyfriend, after we had been together for a few weeks, changed everything for me. I used to get home from work, wash my face, re-apply heavy makeup and then go over his house. I forget how the conversation came up, but I ended up answering that the reason I took my purse to the bathroom was that I needed to put on more makeup. He got this look on his face and asked me to take it off. Or course I was like, you're $&@!ing nuts. He insisted, telling me he didn't want my mask, that he wanted the real me. My face was disgusting that day. I had a huge, blackened, green blob on my cheek and was petrified to even walk out of the house. It was one of the worst skin days of my life. He kept badgering me until finally he told me if I wasn't going to give him my real self, I should leave. I was crying so hard.. I just didn't understand why it was so important to him. But I went into the bathroom with that threat fresh in my head and took my makeup off... I came out bawling. I must hve looked horrible on top of my skin because my eyes must have been puffy and red from crying. But he smiled at me and told me I looked beautiful and kissed my face. He has been such a huge part of my success with my battle that I could not have done it without him. I eventually told him I was causing the damage and he started to get active in supporting me. He would cover the mirrors and tell me I didn't need makeup anyway. He still shouts 'whatcha up to!' when I'm in the bathroom too long (we live together now- its been 4 years!) and he gives me a verbal cue when I'm sitting on the couch doing it subconsciously. I would say, maybe have your boyfriend read some of the forums. Tell him how key he could be in fostering your success if he started doing things to get you on the right path. It's hard for anyone else to understand what we feel unless they actually feel it, but I don't think we can blame them, just give them the opportunity to understand as much as possible and let them help us. It's usually what their intentions are anyway.. :) -sincerely, Steph
mirrorwarrior
December 16, 2011
My boyfriend, after we had been together for a few weeks, changed everything for me. I used to get home from work, wash my face, re-apply heavy makeup and then go over his house. I forget how the conversation came up, but I ended up answering that the reason I took my purse to the bathroom was that I needed to put on more makeup. He got this look on his face and asked me to take it off. Or course I was like, you're $&@!ing nuts. He insisted, telling me he didn't want my mask, that he wanted the real me. My face was disgusting that day. I had a huge, blackened, green blob on my cheek and was petrified to even walk out of the house. It was one of the worst skin days of my life. He kept badgering me until finally he told me if I wasn't going to give him my real self, I should leave. I was crying so hard.. I just didn't understand why it was so important to him. But I went into the bathroom with that threat fresh in my head and took my makeup off... I came out bawling. I must hve looked horrible on top of my skin because my eyes must have been puffy and red from crying. But he smiled at me and told me I looked beautiful and kissed my face. He has been such a huge part of my success with my battle that I could not have done it without him. I eventually told him I was causing the damage and he started to get active in supporting me. He would cover the mirrors and tell me I didn't need makeup anyway. He still shouts 'whatcha up to!' when I'm in the bathroom too long (we live together now- its been 4 years!) and he gives me a verbal cue when I'm sitting on the couch doing it subconsciously. I would say, maybe have your boyfriend read some of the forums. Tell him how key he could be in fostering your success if he started doing things to get you on the right path. It's hard for anyone else to understand what we feel unless they actually feel it, but I don't think we can blame them, just give them the opportunity to understand as much as possible and let them help us. It's usually what their intentions are anyway.. :) -sincerely, Steph
secretskin
December 21, 2011

In reply to by mirrorwarrior

This is such a lovely story, I've never told any one, and part of me really wants to. I'm really getting loads better, but I still want someone in my life to know about my skin picking... maybe one day I'll have someone I trust enough to tell. :-) Thank you for sharing. My blogging is helping me loads. Come visit sometime - http://secretskinpicker.wordpress.com/
kinggypsy
December 20, 2011
i've been with my girlfriend on and off for three years now. i've never been that adept at putting on makeup in the first place, so i only put makeup on when i either have a really ugly blemish from picking acne or for special/family occasions where i want to avoid the unnecessary advice givers ("i have this great cream" or "have you tried witch hazel?" or "have you tried ambi cream?") ... ugh... i'm multiethnic, and mainly appear to look of black and indian descent, so my blemishes are not the easiest to get rid of... but anyway, my girlfriend has always thought that i was beautiful, and hates when i wear makeup of any kind. occasionally she brings up me having a particularly bad case on my face and says that i should try and de-stress more often, and i get upset because it's hard to understand what i go through unless you are actually going through it... it took me a long time from middle school til now to get used to the fact that yes, my arms, face, back and buttocks are covered in blemishes... and i am going to flaunt it anyway! life is short. there are the occasional times when i will wear long sleeves and makeup or wear coverups over my bikini when i meet new people, but that's only sometimes. since i just learned about dermatillomania 6 months ago, i was only able to tell her about it then, but she's been as supportive as i think she can be, and no matter what else goes on between us, i will always be grateful that she's always thought me to be a beautiful person inside and out. have confidence in yourself and don't be afraid to show the world your true self! you are beautiful/handsome! just have faith in yourself and never stop looking forward :)

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