How I Stopped Picking!

Finally! I am so happy like many of you, to discover that I am not alone, and find comfort and hope in a supportive community. I have had KP on my arms for the majority of my life. Unfortunately, I became a chronic skin picker at a very young age and would admit to having a picking addiction, which later included hair pulling. As many of you have mentioned, I too, have lived hiding beneath long-sleeved shirts for years, formulated excuses time after time to avoid exposing my arms, and have been burdened by self consciousness, shame, embarrassment, and sadness. I often found myself feeling sorry for myself, and hopeless. As the picking continued to worsen over the years, and became harder to hide, I attempted to stop. I confided with my physician, several therapists, a hypnotist, a dermatologist, and the list goes on and on…This does not include many other things such as: scrubs, lotions, nail trimming, and oils. After years of trying to stop, I convinced myself that I would continue to struggle with my condition for the rest of my life. However my story does not end there. After finally having enough, I decided to change. The last couple of years have not been easy, but I have significantly reduced my picking by 95%. I want to share with you, what I have found to be extremely helpful in aiding to my success: admitting that I had an addiction (deciding to live my life by my terms and not allow my addiction too), exercising regularly, adopting healthy eating habits, wearing ¾ sleeve tops/cardigans (allowing me to get comfortable to exposing small portions of my arms), sun exposure, meditation, positive daily encouragement to myself, and taking it one day at a time…I felt such happiness when I began to see my scabs heal, and was motivated by the results. It has now been along time since I last picked, and have accepted my scars as a reminder of how far I have come. I even decided to get a tattoo on each arm, which in turn, act as constant reminders to not pick. It will a life long daily struggle for me to not look in the mirror and only seem the KP, but I take a deep breath and look on the bright side…I hope that many of you who are currently suffering from picking will be able to find success soon!