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flick the skin pick , 03 Jul 2008

need help to support

Hey People, I have some questions and I hope you can help us. My fiancee has come out of the closet so to speak and told me about her habit. I was surprised because I never noticed but when I think back all the signs were there. I think it was a huge step for her to come and tell me too. Well anyway we know there is going to be no easy way to overcome this condition but we are going to try and I really want to support and help in any way I can. I have been learning more about trichotillomania and now there is also dermatillomania. I am not going through it so its a little hard for me to understand the feelings and motivation behind the habit. One question I have is when I tell her to stop, it could cause resentment as I have been reading so if someone wanted to help make you stop, how could they do it without causing resentment? Also if someone has helped you how did they help without causing more trouble? Has anyone conquered the the picking or hair pulling? or is it something we have to learn how to live with? If you are a conquerer, how long did it take? Any other advice for someone trying to support a person with this habit would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for any advice. Its really appreciated. P.S. There are people out there who want to help but just dont know the best method so dont be angry at them help them to help you.
2 Answers
inapickle
July 06, 2008
I think the best way you can help her is to distract her from her habit...I know for a fact that when I'm not thinking about picking or I have something to do with my hands it prevents me from picking. Other than that, in my experience, there's nothing you can really do to prevent someone from this habit because it becomes like a sort of routine that they feel like they just have to do it. I hope that doesn't sound discouraging. But, just keep up the support and don't get frustrated.
celene.cmoon
July 09, 2008

In reply to by inapickle

i think thats right. the thing is, i enjoy pickin my scabs and eatin them...i like the crustiness of them. moreover this would be an extremely weird habit if there wasnt this forum to show that there are people out there who share the same...delight?...fetish?...its not a sexual thing but there is a painful ecstacy or an exsquisite pain in pickin scabs sometimes...and i consider myself a reasonable person. also scratchin a furious itch is almost climactic, to my mind. again, i consider myself reasonable so i venture all this is just not as weird as i fear it sounds!

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