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New here- I can't stop picking. Depressed. Don't want to leave my house.
I am a picker. I pick my face and eyebrows. I make myself so mad by the time I am done. My skin isn't that bad on my face, some adult acne (I am 34) but I make it sooo much worse by digging at it with my fingernails and tweezers. Lately I can't leave my eyebrows alone, like if there is the tiniest hair beginning to grow outside of my "arch" (defined brow), I want it gone and I make such a mess of my eyebrows by tweezing at the hair that is way too small to grab with tweezers. But I am so determined! I keep at it until I am bleeding and I have a mess. I am ashamed of this, I am ashamed of how my face looks. I don't want to go anywhere because of it. I haven't been to my church in a month because I am ashamed of my pic marks and redness. I feel so hopeless. My dermatologist said to stop picking and gave me some topical acne stuff and a blood pressure pill that helps with acne. I used accutane 15 years ago and I wish I could get it again but I know it's pretty bad stuff. I did good on it. Anyway, I just need support for the picking, the physical scars, but mostly the emotional scars this is leaving. Help.
February 05, 2014
Rsc320,
I'm sorry to hear you are not only physically but emotionally scared from your picking. I have been picking at my face for nearly 7 years - it's sounds crazy to say that - and I've dealt with the same emotions you are describing. The worst part is we pickers continue to harm ourselves even when it hurts us.
Currently, I am on what I call an "upswing," when my picking is close to none or minimal. My face has been mostly scab free for a month. Recently my family has been battling greater difficulties, and through that experience I discovered I needed to be strong for my family. A way I could show them that is by trying my best to stop the one habit they hate to see me do. From altering my purpose from myself to others, I found my motivation.
I know our circumstances are different, but I hope this can shed some light for you. As far as actual products for healing go, try calamine lotion. After picking, I rub a couple layers on. Its purpose is to heal wounds - which is really what we are doing, creating wounds on our face. Also, I use minimal products: Purity face wash and Hope in jar lotion. Sometimes too many products isn't good either.
I sincerely want you to know I understand you and support you. Finding this website saved me last year, and I frequent it to get insirped from success stories and to remain grounded and realistic from reading troubling stories. Stay strong. And go to church - direct yourself purposfully toward things that make you happy.