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kith4v
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Member Since: Jun 2020
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Trig Jun 26, 2020 at 10:01 PM
  #1
As bad as my title for this thread is, my habit isn't too "bad" but it is unhealthy. When I was 9 I started with chewing the inside of my checks and biting my lip, I would often have big sores that would last for weeks and after that I would pick on my lips, causing my lips to look chap. This little habit made me insecure, I stopped chewing the inside of my cheeks, however, picking on my lips was still a habit. Moving on, at age 10, I developed a new habit; picking on my cuticles. Doesn't sound too bad, it is a common habit. That was just the beginning,
Possible trigger:
At first, no one noticed this habit, until my neighbor, who was also my best friend at the time caught me picking on my skin outside and believed that I had a splinter and offered to take it out; I was rather embarrassed by the situation and stopped. Soon, my mom noticed how dry my fingers looked and felt worried, from then on, I avoided holding hands with my mom or even showing her my hands at all.

What I hate about this "habit" is that everyone believes that it is a skin condition. I feel terrible for doing this but whenever I am under distress or even feeling anxious, I can't help but start picking on my skin. I feel embarrassed to tell anyone what I really feel and I end up bottling my feelings because I don't want to worry anyone. I already had a best friend laugh at the way my fingers look, especially when I give her thumbs up because that's when it looks more obvious. I don't know how to tell her and just laugh with her. (she's not a bad friend, we usually make jokes and is clueless to my situation.) How do I stop this habit?

Last edited by bluekoi; Jun 27, 2020 at 11:23 AM.. Reason: Add trigger icon. Apply trigger code.
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Smile Jun 27, 2020 at 02:53 PM
  #2
Hello kith4v: Thank you for bringing your concern here to PC. I see this is your first post. Welcome to Psych Central.

The OCD and Trichotillomania forum, here on PC, may be another one to take a look at. Here's a link:

https://psychcentralforums.com/ocd-a...chotillomania/

And then here are links to 4 articles, from Psych Central's archives, that (hopefully) may be of some help. The fourth link is to an "Ask The Therapist" column where the writer asked about her own skin picking problem. I thought the therapist's reply would be worth reading. Do be cautious about the second & third articles I've linked you to though. They are graphic, as the author warns at the beginning:

Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder

Picking Myself Apart (Pt. 1)

Picking Myself Apart (Pt. 2)

Can't Stop Picking at Skin - Ask the Therapist

I hope you find PC to be of benefit.

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"I may be older but I am not wise / I'm still a child's grown-up disguise / and I never can tell you what you want to know / You will find out as you go." (from: "A Nightengale's Lullaby" - Julie Last)
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