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olivegreen , 12 Sep 2012

Today is my QUIT day!

Hello all. I'm pretty new here. I've created a plan to quit my picking and my quit day is today, September 12th. I've followed a "how to quit smoking" guide written by a minimalist/zen teacher and I believe it will work. I have a system of rewards, supports, and motivation typed out and ready. I have some plans for how to curb my urges, and I've been spending a lot of time leading up to this preparing myself and talking to myself about how wonderful this is going to be. I've tried to quit before many times with no success or short-term success only. I'm ready to be done with this. I'll be posting as I go, and would love to hear from any of you that have any tips or suggestions, or encouragement!!! Thanks :)
39 Answers
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olivegreen
September 13, 2012
Day 1 complete! I have caught myself picking mindlessly a lot over the last 24 hours but have controlled the intentional picking well by massaging my own hands or focusing on a task. I am excited to start this journey! I'd love some encouragement! :)
little-love
September 13, 2012
Hello :3 I am glad to see that someone else is trying to quit this too! I am into my second week and I am doing really well! During the first few days I did pick because these are the first few days when the skin is being left to heal and i had flaky bits and what not but it got easier to leave them alone as they were healing. I took photos and kept a diary of the healing process to help me see that my skin gets better if i leave it alone. Now im in the second week and its becoming easier to leave spots as they are or to let people see me with a spot or two and its actually not that bad. I always thhink of one of my friends who has bad skin but is absolutely beautiful all the same and i don't see spots when i look at her i never notice them. I am trying not to worry about how i look all the time. its making me a much happier person :0) looks arent everythign i keep telling myself. hope that helps and good luck x
howdoistoppick…
September 28, 2012
Thank You for sharing ur progress and being real to when u have to start over. You have such a great positive attitude and hope to see more post of your progress. I think its something I need to do as well. Its like a drug to me & I pray one day after almost 30s years of picking I will be able to stop. Hugs & Prayers <3
olivegreen
September 14, 2012
Day 2-complete!! I'm feeling empowered and strong today and have caught myself picking and stopped myself right away. I keep having "phantom" itchiness--I'm using the pads of my fingers to itch these spots. Today I treated myself to McDonald's breakfast for my success! At one week, I'll be taking a trip to a local nursery to pick out a cactus as a reward. Isn't it ironic that I would pick cacti as my favorite plant? haha.
olivegreen
September 14, 2012
Thought I'd share my quitting plan: MY PLAN TO QUIT PICKING MY QUIT DATE: SEPTEMBER 12, 2012 Don’t start right away. Allow time for planning and preparing. MY REWARDS: Day 1: splurge for lunch Day 2: donut and coffee Day 3: Special drink splurge Week 1 (Hell Week): Trip to Greenhouse and pick out a cactus or pot for cacti Week 2 (Heck Week): Family day at the park with lunch or dinner out Month 1: Manicure Month 2: New outfit or shoes 6 Months: Weekend trip somewhere fun 1 Year: SHAVE MY HEAD! 2 Years: Get my special tattoo MY SUPPORTS: Juston, Mica, Mom & Dad, forums HOW I’LL CURB URGES: PUT IT OFF!!!! 1. Breathe. 2. Stretch. 3. Self massage or serenity rock. 4. Take a brief walk. 5. Text Juston. 6. Post on the forum. WHAT IS MY MOTIVATION TO QUIT? 1. Be a healthy mommy. 2. Make Juston proud of me. 3. No more embarrassing scabs. 4. No more getting caught/ fear of it. 5. My mind will be free to think of important things (or nothing at all). 6. Live a positive life. 7. Help others quit on skinpick.com N.O.P.E. NOT ONE PICK EVER! *If failure happens, plan and prepare for a few days and then try again. *Think positive.
olivegreen
September 17, 2012
This is day five, and the weekend was tough. Without being here on this forum and reading my quit plan, I found myself picking a lot. I have a lot of brand new skin, which is very exciting, and a few very pronounced scabs which are making me want to pick really bad. I'm staying positive, but this is very hard.
olivegreen
September 18, 2012
Tomorrow I will have been on my plan to quit for one week! I'm very excited to be getting this far along. This is probably the longest stretch I've ever gone. Don't get me wrong, the urge to pick is still highly there. I have noticed though that I am more "still," less agitated and squirmy in general. My cuticle skin looks great! I never realized my nails could look so nice. I didn't even realize how much I picked at them. I've isolated three situations where my urges are the greatest: on the toilet (picking my thighs), when putting my son to sleep (scalp/arms/legs), and when driving (anywhere I can reach). It's helped me to recognize these time frames because I can be more prepared to help avoid the "craving." I'm still having trouble dealing with the little bumps and inevitable scabs as my hands run over my face and body so frequently looking for them. I'm working on stopping that behavior too. Tough work, this is.
olivegreen
September 18, 2012
I should mention that my thighs and upper arms are always bumpy--I have some type of skin condition that makes these little raised bumps. It is VERY difficult not to pick at them as they will never go away and it's a constant picking attraction!
Emmi
September 24, 2012
I use exfoliating gloves, you can buy them in your local supermarket. There really handy, while your in the shower, use the gloves with soap, I prefer to use a soap free wash (I have a reaction to soap) but what ever you usually use. Just remember to be gentle. :)
Emmi
September 24, 2012
I use exfoliating gloves, you can buy them in your local supermarket. There really handy, while your in the shower, use the gloves with soap, I prefer to use a soap free wash (I have a reaction to soap) but what ever you usually use. Just remember to be gentle. :)
skreed29
September 18, 2012
im so glad to hear you are making progress (: i was pick free for a week and then had a small relapse last night, im proud that i was able to stop myself before it got too out of hand but also dissapointed because it was a setback ): and youre right. this is hard, really hard. its nice to have support through it from people who are on the same page, though ! we can do this !
olivegreen
September 21, 2012
Huh, you and I must be running on a similar course! I had a setback this morning (trying to wake up in bed) but it wasn't too bad either. This is like a viscous circle, because the scabs I have now are so tempting to pick. Thanks for commenting, you are so sweet! :)
olivegreen
September 24, 2012
Here I am again, a week and a half into quitting. I can't believe how often I'm still mindlessly picking. But, it's decreased! So, I feel like I'm on my way. I have to be very careful not to let myself pick even once, or my urges to pick become extremely higher. Thank you to Emmi for suggesting exfoliating gloves for my bumpy skin. I'll have to try those. Still proud of myself, I am, just trying to be mindful of myself all the time. I tend to let my mind wander, and when that happens, inevitably so does my hand.
skreed29
September 24, 2012
i have been reading your posts around the forum today and they are really nice and inspiring (: even though they arent directed at me they are helping me get through a stressful day, so thank you. you are so on the right track and i admire you, and cant wait to hear(soon!!) that you are totally free from picking (: (:

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