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Eating the skin i picked
Hi I dont know what i am supposed to write here. I guess i never really thought about the existence of a skin picking community but I like it. now I feel less alone, because I knew it was common but I figured nobody talked about it or didn’t want to.
my problem with picking the skin off my foot, started when i was 7 or 8. then it was gone a while and came back super strong in my twenties. Not only do i pick the skin, but i have a problem with chewing and swallowing it to. I dont want to but its actually a soothing thing for me and i am not even aware half the time. I am looking for anybody who has the same issue as me? Someone who can relate and understand because it is effecting my relationships with people around me. I try and I’ve been on several «breaks» or a period of time where i dont do it, but i always fall right back. What stuff has worked for you? Any advice?
Hey! I do the same! It's the first time I find someone who shares having this habit. I only do it when I'm alone, so it's really never been an issue with anyone. I've always found it gross and I hope no one has seen me do it, but at the same time I sort of like it so I've never stop doing it. Finding this place has helped me realize that I'm not thaaat weird, but I think I'd like to stop doing it.
I have always been too embarassed to admit that I too eat the scabs. In fact, if I lose it I get upset! :( I have been doing this since I was very young. I am now a senior. :(
I thought I was all alone in this. I'm a 44-year-old woman and have been eating the skin from my fingers and feet since I was a teenager. People close to me can see me pick at the skin, but I've never told anyone about the eating part until recently. I know it's gross and disgusting but I can't stop. And there's a part of me that doesn't want to stop.
But I did tell my therapist last week, and he was so understanding and caring. I sobbed as I told him and couldn't look him in the eyes for most of the remaining session. He said he can help me and urged me to tell my psychiatrist. I'm on Adderall ER for ADHD, Guanfacine for the impulse component of ADHD, and Lexapro for anxiety. I know some people will say the stimulants can contribute but I've only been on the Adderall for a year. My urges have not increased - they've been the same. I told my psychiatrist and I'm trying not to take it personal, but she was not comforting in any sense. She did increase my Lexapro to 20mg to see if it will help. She said she thinks it's a form of PICA. Does anyone agree with her opinion?
I don't know why I do this. I pick and tear the skin off so bad that it bleeds. Sometimes I can't walk from it or type on the computer or pick things up. I know I need help, but it's become such a part of who I am I can't imagine not doing it. Why do I get so much pleasure from the behavior? This is not normal. Thanks for reading. I'm glad I'm not alone.
In reply to I thought I was all alone in… by bleeding_wolf_biter
Hello, how are you doing? I’m new to this forum. And thought after 49 years I needed to reach out. I hope you don’t mind me asking.
Hey, hello, I’m 49, and have just yet again picked my face to the point of no return. So I have to face friends and family with a massive scab and make up some story about a gnat bite or similar. I’ve been picking my feet until they bleed, eating it. I’ve been picking since a teen. I go through stages. The back of my left thigh is the worst at the moment as it’s hidden. God I hate this disorder so much, and it makes me feel so shameful the next day. Then I spend hours running to the mirror with cover up, wiping off, recovering, check check check again. I just wish I knew what to do to stop. I notice my mum picking her fingers constantly. Any help or advice gratefully received this is the first time I’ve ever posted on a forum like this
Hey bleeding wolf biter. I completely relate. And I too am glad I’m not alone. I feel weirded out by my own behaviour. Wish I could stop.