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EmilyN , 03 Jan 2013

Self Mutilators Anonymous

Dear everyone I am a picker, and eater, I have eaten my cuticles, boogers, scabs. I pick at my skin. I scratch it with objects such as nail clippers till it bleeds. I have recently tried to stop picking and picked my vagina and have developed a cyst there. I have been to a few self mutilators anonymous meetings. I found about them from other meetings I go to. According to certain old school ideas I am not supposed to tell people about it. But how else will you find out that there is a forum for this where no one (that I've encountered) would dare malign you for picking at yourself or your child. I am by no means their representative but fuck anonymity. This organization exists and I think you guys should know about it. I used my 12 step work in other programs to work on this. Trying to stop cold turkey while letting myself get as angry and frustrated as I needed to be to stop, playing with silly putty in the movie theater (when I subconsciously pick at my face and don't realize before I've made a major dent) And of course, moving my area of picking to another part of my body because clearly THAT works (not.)
2 Answers
63andFree
January 18, 2013
EmilyN -- Just joined the site ...created an account ... and you are my first post. I hope to hear back from you. In the early 90s my pals from AA & OA STARTED a SMA meeting -- it met at my home in West LA -- don't know where you are, maybe other meetings pop'd up synchronistically, but it was WEIRD to see your post. I too used the 12 steps on zitpicking to a result of 3 months off... the magic 90 days... the longest I've gone since 1964. Have also done therapy off and on for 50 yrs. I've also been on 20mg of fluoxetine (Prozac) since 1995. I had a chemical peel 9/18/88 and a facelift 9/6/2012. NOW. I'd love to say I'm DONE with it... and basically am... but got anxious yesterday, popped some blackheads and SPIKED. I'm gonna order the book and keep on this site. AMAZING. It's actually a bona fide DIS-EASE now in the DSM thing. You sound young ... I'm too fucking old for this and don't wanna ruin my new face....xo sister
Finallyfacingit
January 20, 2013
Do you know of a place to actually locate some meetings? I've been having trouble locating any. (I'm in the southeast MA /Cape Cod area.) Any help is appreciated. Thanks guys!

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