Hello

I think most of us on here can relate to you. It is a rather soothing thing, to pick. I'm not entirely sure why but I have a general idea. I believe part of it is simply a chemical addiction in our brains to the release of neurotransmitters that occurs when we pick, and part of it is because habits are so hard to break in the first place. Sometimes picking can give us a sense of relief or control, but ironically leaves us feeling helpless in the end. Deep breathing helps. Occupying yourself with a creative and healthy outlet like art (any hobbies), music, exercise, or the like when the urges strike is one way to help. Cover up mirrors and bright lights if you can. Hopefully some of the advice and encouragement you encounter on this forum will help. Just remember we're all in this together.

I have been picking for most of my life, as long as I can remember. Finally I seem to have stopped. I recommend two books by a Professor Richard Wiseman; :59 seconds and Rip it up. His method of achieving goals is really simple but it seems to work, plus he has got it from scientific research. I'm embarressed by how simple it was. It worked for me anyway. I put a pledge card up on my fridge where I could see it everyday and I kept a count of how many times I picked or bit my fingers everyday- which I noted religiously in my diary under a heading "Biting fingers". At first it was a horribly huge amount but now it is down to a half dozen times a day and I am not really doing any damage (blood and cuts) now. Do the goal setting in :59 seconds. It will help you focus. I have tried hypnosis on my own and with a professional. I have tried yoga and yoga nidra which worked for a while. I have tried sheer will power. I'd got a bit apathetic towards it. I also wrote down a list of why I hate biting my fingers and stuck it on the fridge with the pledge card. You can get the above books at amazon.co.uk for definite. I wish everyone the best of luck. This is just what has worked so far for me.