Dermatillomania

Ipick at blemishes and blackheads and bumps nonstop. All day, my face and my arms are the main areas as well as my chest, but recently i have started in on my stomach area and pubic region and rarely my legs. For a few months recently I was also chewing on my inner cheeks and it was just not healing (still isnt completely) but that isnt as bad. I do it because it calms me down and I think if I can just get rid of all the blemishes maybe I will be that much closer to being perfect or okay. I also do it inadvertedly at times. also bite my nails, pick at my cuticles, basically my hands are nonstop picking at something if not busy some other way.

FWIW, I have no diagnosis of anythign yet, just started seeing a psych and therapist and dotn agree withthe psychs assesment of depression because I dotn think I am. I am much more bipolar, borderline (score high on both of those scales), and even have OCD tendencies such as this and obsessive thoughts. I feel like everything in the world is wrong with me...

I know what ya mean, keylimepie. I used to think the same way. Then I finally realized what the expression, "I love ya, warts and all" really means. No one's perfect, and if they are, it takes a team of stylists, dermatologists and a lot of time and effort to do that.

I considered that option (not that I had the money or anything), but then I found that it's best if I look/am "clean enough to be healthy and dirty enough to be happy".

Take care,

--Frayed

Funny thing, i will spend a fortune on getting my hair done and makeup, clothes, and tattoos to make myself look as beautiful as i can yet pick at myself knowing it makes me look worse. Sigh.

Sometimes, when I go to the other extreme and get all "dolled up", it makes me feel weird. Like it's not "normal" for me. So that can be a trigger for me, too. So I go with the middle ground. "Dirty enough to be happy."

Don't spend a lot of time/money on the other extreme, either. Go for the comfortable middle ground.

<3

--Frayed

One thing I noticed with my picking was that as I progressed to pick more areas my acne spread right along with it and gave me more things to pick at. I should warn you at this point that if you pick at acne spots they spread. Also as you pick at an area like the legs, stomach, arms, and especially the pubic area you can cause puss filled deposits to arise that are very similar to zits. It is best to try to isolate your pickking to one area or try to avoid certain locals. For some reasons which I don't yet understand picking in pubic reasons is considered more drastic than in other location. I don't know why but it's specifically asked about on picking questionares. I find it is one of the harder areas to stop picking at because it can be nataurally exposed every time one uses tha bathroom. Try to stop picking on this area and mention it to your doctor.

I also suffer from this. I do it in places that aren't really ever seen, and I guess I probably cover myself up rather than let people see, but I wouldn't let these spots be visible even if they weren't scarred. The WORST place is my feet, and then also (this might sound weird) my inner nose? I go at it with tweezers and scissors. I just noticed some skin rubbed raw when I was actually sick once and I picked the skin off and since then it has never gotten the chance to heal (years) because of me doing this. I also have a spot on my inner lip right now as well, and it won't heal because I can't leave it alone. I am constantly in pain because of the places I do it, but I still can't seem to stop myself. It's so out of control. I've mentioned it to people before but no one sees it as anything too serious because I have a lot more serious mental health issues. I was also told once these "real" issues resolve (depression, eating disorder, etc), the picking might just go away on its own because I won't need it as a coping mechanism, but I don't know. As I'm sure many of you experience, sometimes it just happens even when I'm not conscious of it (like watching tv or something, my hands just roam and pick then I realize..). I just wish people would take it a bit more seriously, I guess.

OM(G)! I soooo used to pick at my feet aswell. It was the easiest place I stopped picking at though bkz I just started wearing my socks 24/7. the habit broke I moved to a different spot I really had to keep them on for 24/7 though and like wear gloves when I changed my socks. I thought it was just a me thing to pick my feet because like as a baby I sucked my fett and not my hands; guess it's more universal than I thought. as for picking at your nose that has it's own catagory name (rhinotillomania??). Lip and mouth pickking is pretty universal and the hardest to stop. I don't know that much about picking in ones nose though seems I'd rather be caught biting my finger nails than with something up my nose. As for using a tweezer- don't. Honestly, I got rid/ was banded from owning and using a tweeer over a year ago cuz I was constantly using it to pick at anything and everything.

haha, I've always thought it would be less embarrassing to say I was picking boogers out of my nose rather than the skin thats on the cartilage in the middle.. I would not do that in public anyway, though. I also keep socks on but sometimes I get into some psycho trance and pull them off and pick for an hour or two. Ugh.

Wow.... yeah at my ultimate turning point when I knew I needed help and had to leave school I was unable to study and would have picking bouts tthat went three hours in length in a given sitting. Now when I have a bout it [i]feels[/i] like an hour has gone by but usually I clock in at about 20mins. to 30mins. with bad episodes running in the 45min. to an hour range. It strange because I have worked at curing my acne and so now I less to pick at or that triggers me, but sometimes I just want to pick and get the urge without having anything to pick at that will satisfy what I'm looking for. Today I was in the middle of an episode and just tryed controlling my breath, breathing slow and deeply and that took away the urge and trance likeness.

I think i have the same thing [well dermatophagia]
the inside of my mouth /lips and fingers beign the main places, but its all fairly moderate damage wise.
my feet get somewhat attacked on occasion, i keep socks on them and its a completely solitary act.

but lately ive completely ruined the right side of my chest.
I dont what what it is, i hate the mess it leaves, but the level of satisfaction i get from that crunch of flesh is something NOTHING else can replicate.

I honestly dont understand what is pushing me to literally consume myself.
I had a traumatic past, but id gotten over that.
My life has had its hiccups but nothing that i can specifically link to this.

Its so weird. ive contemplated getting gloves and a gum shield then i literally CANT pick.
but i know id cheat and just take it off.. the urge is too much.
Id give up eating before i gave up my habit.

while it makes me feel less of a freak that other folks do it, im still not in a position to go back into therapy.