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Thank you, there's finally a place like this!
Hey, everyone. I'm a fellow face picker and i've been doing it since i was young, or as long as i can remember. I was just surfing the internet and looked up to see if there was a site where there were people who had the same problem i had. With the greatest of luck, i found this place, and i've read some of the posts here and was completely relieved! I've found a place where practically everyone is a facepicker! It's not just me!
I have no idea why i do it, i even have my mom pick up makeup to cover my face. Permanent marks are a result of my nonstop picking and i feel horrible about it, and even though i'm aware i'm doing it, i still can't stop! My family is always upset at me, especially my mom who keeps telling me that i'm too 'beautiful' to pick my face. I've even started picking my back and legs! Every time i see a new scab i'm always compelled to pick at it! I now know, thankfully, that it's a form of OSD, and i want to cry i'm so happy about this discovery. I've tried different methods to stop it, like medications, doing something else with my hands, but i always go back to picking. I want to cry most of the time because i'm hurting myself and everyone around me.
I remember a few nights back i was hanging out with my sister and her friends, and i started to pick and SHE actually had to say my name and shake her head. A signal to stop picking at me, and everyone looked right at ME! I was so embarassed, and still am. I can't wear dresses because the marks on my back are so bad, and i even thought about going to my Senior prom, but i couldn't. Because i tore up my back so badly......I feel so pathetic. I've let one little habit get the best of me, and my mom's always saying that 'i'm letting it win over me', and i try to think about that but it doesn't work...I feel like i need some kind of support group or help for this...I don't know what to do anymore..
May 28, 2009
Hi, welcome : ) you are in the right place here! I am 27 years old and I think I have been a picker since I was a little girl. I remember always being obbsessed with picking my scabs after I fell or something. Then as a got older it was my face(pimple popping). Over the past 4-5 years my upper arms have become my main spot. Today is my 6th day without picking! I can't remember when the last time was that I went more than 10 days without picking. I have been trying to write and read from this forum everyday to help me. I also use some things I have learned from a 12 step program I go to all the time(I am a recovering drug addict). So I figured the picking is as much of an addiction as the drugs were. I think sharing our experience, strength and hope with eachother here is a great way to overcome our picking! I hope you have a good day today.
June 02, 2009
Something I've found to be helpful: 1) buy cute going-out clothes with full backs and 2) never stay in because of the picking, that's just letting it win. For my prom (which now feels like ages ago), I wore a strapless dress and put make-up all over my back, and the pictures came out great. I had an amazing time, and it's strange how little people notice it even when it's at its worst. Never ever miss anything because of picking. Also, your family noticing has nothing to do with how much the rest of the world or even your close friends notices. A lot of the time, my family thinks it's helpful to embarrass me publicly in hopes that I'll stop, when in fact, it just makes me feel guiltier and want to pick more. It's a crap part of your life, but I've found that the best way to keep it from becoming an even bigger part of your life is to ignore the insecurities it causes and go out anyway.