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rubberducke , 01 Aug 2013

I cant stop

It started when I was ten, and I picked really hard at a zit on my chin and thought nothing of it. Then my friend made a comment about how her mom popped her zits every night. I dont know how it happened, but i started doing it, and I thought picking zits was really fun. Eventually, I realized that it was starting to look pretty bad. My face was covered in ugly scabs. But I was stupid and kept doing it. Gradually, I started picking over more of my face, and now I do it all over. I've been trying really hard to stop, but recently I started thinking it was like an addicion. My mom tells me, stop picking, like that'll do the trick. Just now I told her it has a name and it's a real condition, and that I truly can't stop, and she said, "yes you can. Maybe it's hard but you can." The way she said it made it sound like I'm exagerating and I only do it because I want to. But really, it feels like a compulsion, an addiction. I see a mirror, think I won't do it this time, and an hour later my face is red and swollen. Maybe it was fun at first, but now I desperately want to stop. While I'm doing it, I give myself all sorts of reasons I need to stop, But it's like there's someone forcing me to stay and continue. It makes me hate myself. It makes me feel ugly and unworthy. It makes me want to stay in bed and cry all day. But I can't stop and my face is always covered in scabs and I'm starting to get scars. everyone thinks I do it for fun and I can stop whenever I want, and I even used to think that. I have two therapists and I'm on antidepressants, but they don't help, especially when my mom actually gets mad at me for doing it, like it's my fault. I hate doing this and I really want and need to stop, but I can't. Help.
41 Answers
Rosa
August 11, 2013

In reply to by rubberducke

Try everything you need to, sometimes I think some of the stuff I try actually doesn't improve the scarring or healing rate but psychologically it makes me feel better and it looks less horrifying in the mirror even if I am seeing the same thing. And that helps with the shame and anger around the whole thing. Also just wanted to say parents suck where this is concerned. My way of attempting to forgive my parents is by putting myself in their shoes. When they brought you into the world they thought you were the most beautiful and amazing thing in it. I'm told that feeling never goes away despite whatever life throws in the way to mask it from view. They want to protect you from any harm or danger more than anything else in the world. The fact that you yourself are the cause of that harm confuses their natural instincts and they just cant deal basically. That's nobody's fault its just an added complication to the whole thing. If you thought having a conversation with your mum to explain exactly what is going on would get her more on side I'd say do it coz I cant tell you how much having someone a little more sympathetic makes a difference. Your mom seems like she wants to help (pull up the wiki dematillomania page that's how I got shit home to my boyfriend) Sorry about the rant!
rubberducke
August 12, 2013

In reply to by Rosa

No, ranting's cool. And that makes sense. But for some reason I've been picking my fingers all day, and just now I picked my face. Not too bad, but enough to create a couple new scabs. I'm so pissed at myself, because I was doing really good and now I'm ugly again, and school starts in less than two days. So I think I'll just stay in my room for a while. Thanks for the support.
Rosa
August 12, 2013

In reply to by rubberducke

No, you 'feel' ugly because you picked that's not the same as being ugly. Don't discount what you've managed to achieve just because you've had one slip up. The nature of progress unfortunately is that sometimes it feels like 1 step forward 2 steps back but ultimately you are doing good! Just try and make yourself get out of your room and do something, even if you dread it coz it'll be better for you than staying inside with only your negative self image for company - thats a recipe for picking. Please don't stay in your room for the next two days. This is a rough patch, if you can get through this you'll do even better at combating the next one, that's part of the journey.
rubberducke
August 16, 2013
My skin looks pretty good right now. I haven't picked today or yesterday and the scabs are healing quickly. My fingers look okay too. I'm doing good right now.
rubberducke
August 17, 2013
I just picked again.... not as bad as I could have, but I'm still really annoyed. Every time I start doing better, I do it again.
rubberducke
August 17, 2013
I picked again just now. I'm starting to get bad again..... I don't know what to do.
rubberducke
August 22, 2013
Okay, I'm finally looking better. I hope I stay that way too.
rubberducke
August 23, 2013
Just kidding. I picked two deep blackheads on my cheekbones, and I have one nasty whitehead on my forehead that I popped twice already that's really swollen and painful. But I only picked those three, so I'm doing a little better. I will NOT pick again later. I promise.
rubberducke
September 28, 2013
My face looks a little better, but with weird damaged skin on my forehead. The ones on my cheeks and chin went away, but yesterday I picked off a huge chunk of skin from my nose. My fingers are absolutely awful, but I'm trying to focus on one thing at a time. One thing I've recently found myself doing is picking my legs. At first, I would pull out the hair with tweezers after I shaved. But my skin got really dry and I got weird bumpy blackhead things, so I popped them like I did my face. Now I have a bunch of scabs, and I have to wear shorts for dance. Also, I increased my Zoloft, and a side effect is itching. So recently my legs have been really itchy, and the other day I scratched off a two inch strip of skin from my left shin with the bottom of my shoe, and a bunch of bruises just from scratching. It just makes my legs look worse. I'm also self conscious about my cutting scars, which are mostly on my left ankle, but the recent ones scarred red, so I feel like they're very visible. I rarely cut, but when I do, it's because of my severe depression, and I hate myself later. So my challenge for now is three days without picking my face, and maybe just a few hours of not picking my fingers would be nice. And absolutely no more on the legs.
rubberducke
October 01, 2013
I don't think I can count yesterday, and I'm not sure about today. Yesterday I popped a bunch of the ones that were beginning to heal, and I squeezed some weird gunk out of my leg pores. Today I have pink eye and stayed home from school, so I haven't washed my face or anything. This morning I popped a couple whiteheads and two on my back, nothing major, but evening is my worst picking time so we'll see how it goes. I tried really hard not to chew my fingers, but I still tore off a few good- sized chunks of skin, so they look especially disgusting now. Also, I have a whitehead on my eyebrow, which is one of my favorite places to get them because they always have a lot of pus. So today, I'm not going to pick my face, back, chest or legs at all, and especially that one on my eyebrow. I hope I can make it to one day.
rubberducke
October 01, 2013
I have to really focus to keep from picking my fingers. Grr. But I just remembered last year in health class, one girl was like "I've never popped a zit." and I thought, you have no idea how lucky you are. Recently, my therapist suggested wearing gloves, especially to go in the bathroom, or to take a small object in with you and tell yourself you can't put it down until you leave. Those both help. Also, pure organic coconut really is incredible, and cheap. I definitely recommend trying it.
rubberducke
October 01, 2013
I've like transferred my picking from my face to my legs. Even right now as I type this, I keep stopping to pop things on my legs. It's really stressing me out and I can't stop, but at the same time my addiction is making me think I don't wanna stop. I need help, because I cant stop on my own right now. and my legs look horrible im so humiliated right now
rubberducke
October 01, 2013
It is so difficult not to chew my fingers right now. It requires constant concentration. *deep breath* I can do this
hopestartshere
October 01, 2013
Really empathize with your post. . I started picking when I was 15ish and am now 31 and seem to be in the midst of a really bad picking episode. The irony is that I also suffer with binge eating, but since that's started to become more under control, the picking has gone stratospheric. I currently have thirteen scabs all over my face and neck they are so sore and look horrendous. Last night i put in calamine lotion but because all my scabs are craters from where I've picked holes in my skin with tweezers, the lotion dried in the centre and I found it really hard to wash off.... Did feel nice and soothing though when I first applied it. I'm absolutely sick of this disorder. I'm pledging abstinence from picking tonight and will be posting again tomorrow morning. I think im going to have to just take things an hour at a time. Hopefully together we can all beat this? X Ps my mum totally doesn't get it, despite me trying to tell her. She popped round today: the first thing she said "gosh you've made such a mess of your face and neck". Bless her, I know she doesn't mean to hurt my feelings more.... But I already know the damage I've done :(
rubberducke
October 02, 2013

In reply to by hopestartshere

Man, it sucks trying to explain to other people. I agree that it's one hour at a time, because I seem to get intimidated by longer goals. I haven't been able to find any plain calamine though. I'm sick of it too, so let's not pick tonight, okay? We can do it
hopestartshere
October 02, 2013
Really empathize with your post. . I started picking when I was 15ish and am now 31 and seem to be in the midst of a really bad picking episode. The irony is that I also suffer with binge eating, but since that's started to become more under control, the picking has gone stratospheric. I currently have thirteen scabs all over my face and neck they are so sore and look horrendous. Last night i put in calamine lotion but because all my scabs are craters from where I've picked holes in my skin with tweezers, the lotion dried in the centre and I found it really hard to wash off.... Did feel nice and soothing though when I first applied it. I'm absolutely sick of this disorder. I'm pledging abstinence from picking tonight and will be posting again tomorrow morning. I think im going to have to just take things an hour at a time. Hopefully together we can all beat this? X Ps my mum totally doesn't get it, despite me trying to tell her. She popped round today: the first thing she said "gosh you've made such a mess of your face and neck". Bless her, I know she doesn't mean to hurt my feelings more.... But I already know the damage I've done :(
rubberducke
October 02, 2013
I just figured out how to perfectly describe what this disease feels like for me. I have two different personalities-- my regular one, and the very unwelcome "picker". Suddenly, the picker takes over my whole body, trapping me in myself, and forces me to pick. The whole time, my regular half is screaming to stop, but it doesn't do anything. I legitimately am not in control of my limbs-- it's like I'm possessed. And whenever I have the urge to pick, I know I shouldn't, but the regular half is squashed by the picking half. If I want to pick, I simply cant stop myself. and if somehow I do, I get this deep sense of loss that makes my stomach hurt. I feel like I NEED to pick or something bad is gonna happen to me. Usually if I do pick, the only thing that can stop me is if someone actually comes in the bathroom, or if I have to go somewhere. otherwise, I can do it for hours.
rubberducke
October 02, 2013
I can't count today. I picked my face and legs and hands a little, and I was going to do my legs more but I was like, NOOOO. So now I'm wearing long sweatpants, and gloves. this is impossible. I cant even look at myself or I'll start picking.
hopestartshere
October 02, 2013

In reply to by rubberducke

Your description of the two 'selves' is absolutely accurate because this disorder does indeed encompass two competing thoughts....the 'voice of the compulsion' that tells you 'just this one won't matter', then before you know it your fingers are covered in blood and there are multiple wound sites everywhere. The other part is the 'healthy' rational brain, which knows how damaging and maladaptive this is. However, this condition is the result of very real and powerful activities in the brain which makes us literally feel like we are going to die if we don't pick. Read 'Brain Lock' by J Schwarz. On the back cover you can SEE the difference in the brains of OCD sufferers and non OCD sufferer's and this condition, I believe, comes under an obsessive compulsive disorder to an extent because the thoughts to pick/examine are obsessive and the urge to pick compulsive. I read this book years ago and it did help me but then I think ultimately it was the fact that my skin cleared up which meant that the stimulus to pick was gone. Let's start a fresh tomorrow. I am in Uni all day so won't be in a position to pick (she says hopefully), however I am nervous because my face and neck is COVERED in craters. If you need to, post on here every hour or half hour to keep you going....or maybe open a word document and do a day journal where you check in every hour then post it on here in one go...do whatever you need to get through the day (and obviously ignore this if these techniques won't work for you). Apart from squeezing a spot, I haven't picked today...but the I have binged for the first time in ageas. sigh. More from me tomorrow xx

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