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DubaDelRue , 30 Sep 2011

I pick all over and I feel helpless

It doesn't matter what it is. A scratch, a zit, an ingrown hair. And it doesn't matter where it is. I pick. I need to stop. I have scarred my face and body bad enough. I didn't use to pick at my arms but now I have found it most pleasing. I need to stop touching my face all together. This morning I picked at my face so bad that it will be scarred up for months. And it's a bummer too because my face had just cleared up. It doesnt help either that I have small little cysts all over my face. and two that keep coming back under my eyes. I feel so anxious lately. So I go into the bathroom and wash my face. I feel one little zit on the side of my jaw and next thing I know 30 minutes has gone by and when I look into the mirror I see a red swollen face. I have picked at almost every pore on my face. And the one little zit that i started with is now bleeding and wont stop. Even my neck is red with scars and pock marks. When I was younger my mother would try and "pop" my cysts and now I have two very large permanent scars on the high part of my cheeks just below my eyes. I feel so helpless. I write on my mirrors. reminders to breath. To ask myself what I'm feeling and to walk away from the mirror. But sometimes I just can't. I don't want to pick anymore. I just want to be able to walk into the bathroom and not look in the mirror and want to pick. I want to be happy. Now's the time! If you feel the same way or need someone to pull you away from the mirror at times your not alone. I'm going to get through this. Starting today I have promised myself that I will not pick at my face! I will not touch my face with dirty hands. I promise myself that if I am feeling anxious for any reason I will write here instead of picking. I'm going to get through this. SO CAN YOU!
1 Answer
kgolden1234567890
October 04, 2011
I have had a LOT of luck with the amino acid N-acetyl cysteine, which is sometimes sold as N-acetyl L-cysteine, for my 11-year-old daughter who severely picks her skin (arms and legs). I'm hoping that everyone on this group will check it out. We started out at 1200mg each day, 600mg in the morning and 600mg in the evening. Then we worked up to 2400mg, 1200 mg in the morning and 1200 mg in the evening, within about 3 or 4 weeks. The study that was done in 2009 showed the best results were after 9 weeks of continuous treatment with this amino acid, also just known as NAC. We saw great results after 6 weeks. Please consider trying it. I am not a doctor, so please weigh out the risks for yourself. It has truly been a godsend. My daughter used to pick to the point of staph infections. She has scars all over her body. It works by regulating the URGE to pick. You can download the summary text of the 2009 study on this website - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19581567. The study was for hair-pulling, but skin-picking and nail-biting result from similar sets of urges.

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