Dermatillomania

[Notaloneanymore]

Hello there! I am suffering from skin picking disorder from 10 years on. I didnt speak out for help only from this year, when I enter on some facebook groups and realized how many people suffer from the same thing. I couldnt believe it. Tomorrow I will see a therapist and hopefully he will prescribe me some pills. I have tried so hard to force myself to stop picking but its not easy at all. Im crying writting this because Im realizing that its like Im not in me when Im doing this, I cant control it. But I want this to stop asap. My mental health is at the lowest point ever. Thank you! Hope you are doing well anywhere you are! Anyone who is suffering from dermatillomania?

[Greekdude]

I have skin picking , OCD and repetitive thinking since the age of 1 .

Please dont take any pill . You can cope with skin picking without medication.

Also purchase this book , it might help you :

Overcoming Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors: A Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment for Hair Pulling and Skin Picking, by Charles S. Mansueto (Author), Sherrie Mansfield Vavrichek (Author), Ruth Goldfinger Golomb (Author), Jennifer Raikes (Foreword)

[Ubud2021]

I have this as well. About a month ago, my arms, and my face were basically one big scab. I’d been working on this “masterpiece” for...well, not for too long... I’ve always had this skin picking problem though. Since I was little. And it sucks. But this year, was the worst it has ever been.

To try to help myself from stopping, I’d wear tight, long shirts. Tight, so that way I couldn’t just easily pick. But my face was another problem. I don’t know how you feel, but I feel embarrassed. Because I normally have beautiful skin. I also feel so shameful. And I believe shame is one of the worst emotions to feel.

I am doing something called Ketamine Therapy. In a clinical setting, they give you shots of ketamine, and it reduces depression, anxiety, ptsd, ocd, and so on... I missed 1 month of the therapy, and it helped me to do the skin picking a lot more than normal.

I am “medication resistant” you could say. I’ve been on every anti depressant there is, and every anxiety medication. When my therapist told me she was doing research on Ketamine therapy, and told me to look into it as it may be an opportunity for me, I jumped. And it works wonders for me.

When I went to my appointment finally, after missing a month, one of the ladies there asked me about my OCD. I told her about my skin picking and pointed at my face. And she said something like “so it’s not meth?” And I was so embarrassed.

It’s a hard thing to stop. And it takes time. Slowly but surely, you can do it and will succeed. Triggers are there, and instincts of skin picking will happen, But you will notice them and correct them.

Ps -at one point, my mom had suggested I wear a mask or even wear winter gloves. Because that will make it harder to pick.

I hope you find some relief! Have a wonderful day. 💕