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Gold22 , 29 Nov 2008

No one has enough will power

To quit. Dermatillomania is too compulsive, and somewhat pleasing to victims of this condition that no one will stop... Those who have been doing it for years find it the hardest to quit. It's comforting, It's almost a good pain. I'm 19, Female, and have been picking and eating the skin from my fingers since I was 6 years old. They are red, swollen, unsightly, and but a big damper in my life. I also was picking at my fingers while I write this...forcing myself to type with one hand.
3 Answers
luckyla1024
December 23, 2008
I used to think it was all about willpower...but that is how compulsions work. You can't resist them, and then you get depressed because you don't have the willpower to resist them, and the cycle starts all over. I'm 24 and I have been picking my body and my fingers since I was about 12. I started therapy about a year ago, and while I'm not completely cured, I have seen a lot of improvements. Getting better won't just happen overnight though, it's a process that takes hard work. I agree that it's comforting, and a "good" pain in a strange, probably unhealthy sort of way... but that doesn't mean it's impossible to get over it. I think the important thing is to recognize that its about more than just thinking "oh, I need to stop" and then being upset with yourself that you can't just magically do it. If it were that simple, it wouldn't be such a big problem...
tarab
January 19, 2009
I am glad there are people I can talk with. We can do it together yahoo-tarynbenedetti@yahoo.com
Gold22
January 20, 2009
it's the hardest thing to quit mentally and physically. It was easier for me to quit smoking in all honesty. Add http://myspace.com/dermatillomaniaawareness Thanks.

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