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40daysfromnow , 08 Mar 2010

Habit replacement anyone?

Has anyone noticed that that have started doing something else while they are trying to stop picking? I have noticed that I am eating more! And badly! I am currently baking cookies... I think I am finding comfort in food where before I was finding it in picking. I think next I will have to join a weight loss forum :P But I'm on day 3 and so far no picking. It would have been my day 14 or something if I didn't mess up a few days ago. Can't wait for the cookies :P Good everyone!
15 Answers
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40daysfromnow
March 08, 2010
And by good everyone I mean good LUCK everyone! :P
wildflower
March 08, 2010
yes ... i have ... and i believe it's normal that one habit is replace by something different when one is trying to break a habit ... i too am eating more and gaining weight ... i'm hoping to get back to walking outdoors once winter lets up ... i'm also scratching more at my scalp but fortunately not so much that i incur sores ... i'll have to nip that in the bud before long ... at least i've not picked at anything old or new ... tho i have close calls ... for the time being, enjoy those cookies, pat yourself on the back for not picking, and enjoy your healing skin ... :)
ocdFreak
March 11, 2010
that's funny because i have turned to food a little too.. i have been eating ice cream.. LOL i know that is really bad of me. i should replace that with something else too, i suppose i will join the weight loss forum with you! i should just get into drawing or something.. maybe i will leave a sketchpad and some pencils on my desk and doodle in it when my hands feel like wandering and 'fixing' (aka worsening) things. i am eating fast food right now too, though i did tell myself that i would eat better... this is a great topic guys i am glad someone brought it up. i am actually not that hungry, i might put this in the fridge for awhile and get out a sketchpad.. i am also spending more time on the computer, typing and such really keeps my hands busy so i guess that's not so bad:) HEY! here's an idea: when you are REALLY feeling the urge to pick and maybe feel anxiety or whatnot, begin drawing or maybe writing ANYTHING that is on your mind and then look it over later when you are feeling better. Do you think it would end up being something different than what you usually would have drawn or written? more insight on that sort of thing could be interesting. just a thought...
wildflower
March 11, 2010
funny that you would suggest something like drawing as a distraction. here i'm an artist and i am in a dry spell that has lasted over a year. probably anxiety over that had some influence on my picking getting worse ! .lol so part of my therapy now is to "not" pressure myself to do art. lol i do hope, though, that soon this "artist block" will pass and i'll be painting again and with clearer skin. :) i do hope it works for you and it would be interesting indeed to see if it was different from what you'd normally have produced.
ocdFreak
March 11, 2010
Painting eh? that's awesome! i just draw/sketch mostly. usually i like to put a lot of effort into it, and the shading and whatnot, i like to try to make it look good. when i am feeling anxiety something, rather than picking and thinking about things, i think i will (on purpose - to escape trying to be a perfectionist) draw something messy. like a quick messy sketch right in the midst of anxiety, just to keep my hands busy. i'll try to transfer that sort of uncomfortableness onto paper. i'll let you know what i come up with :) what style of painting are you usually into?
wildflower
March 11, 2010
as a child, drawing was what i was into. i only used colour in school projects. i knew one day i would like to learn how to use colour and after many years of doing no art whatsoever (life got in the way of creativity for me), in 2005 circumstances changed and i decided to learn to paint and i've tried oil painting, acrylic painting, and pastels so far. wetcanvas(dot)com is an online community for artists of all mediums. have you heard of it? there is a forum there for drawing and sketching as well as for just about any medium. perhaps you'd be interested in investigating it and perhaps even participating there.
ocdFreak
March 11, 2010
that sounds interesting, i'll check that site out. the web community i was apart of for awhile was deviantart. it was ok, though i haven't been on it for a few years now. i'm really into shading too, though i have been thinking about adding color. i might try that. maybe with oil pastels for now. when i was younger i was really interested in drawing abstract things and objects and eventually became very interested in drawing people. faces are amazing - old, young, man, woman. if i can transfer an emotional expression onto a 2D sheet of paper, i consider that a success. as far as painting goes, that seems difficult lol.. what kinds of things do you paint?
wildflower
March 11, 2010
hey! we're chatting here! lol i started out with people as my subjects. i did abstracty things after that for a while but still like people but in my short painting career (i say that loosely btw lol) i have painted landscapes, still life, and portraits, but no abstracts - yet. i say i am an artist rather tongue in cheek because i don't have a full time job and i have sold a few paintings. i couldn't say i make a living at it! lol
ocdFreak
March 11, 2010
lol we sure are:) Sold paintings? that's great! i have never sold anything, that might be interesting to try, though it seems like it would be difficult to really make a living with it. Maybe easier in Seattle, with the monthly 'art-walks' and all. landscapes are usually beautiful. it seems like painting people would be difficult too (i'm inexperienced with painting) but i love drawing them. people are just beautiful and faces are full of so many lines and curvatures and details! but the fact that they're full of emotion makes those lines mean so much more than any object i think. they're great.
wildflower
March 11, 2010
i'm betting you'd do fine bringing colour to your work. i'm also betting your finished products are well done hearing you talk about your love of shading, contours, detail, and emotion. i would love to see your work. care to share email addresses? chat in gchat or msn? we seem to have the better part of a continent apart if you're near seatle. i'm in ontario canada.
ocdFreak
March 11, 2010
ontario?? wow i was born in Richmond Hill!!! my whole family is from canada, except for my younger sister - she is the only 'original' American in my family I guess lol. now I am on the border between Washington state and Idaho. and sure, chatting more sounds great. my email address: livingconsciousness@hotmail.com and my msn address is going to sound a little weird, i know, but i went through this punk stage and i've grown out of it, but i just haven't changed my msn address, here it is: crooked_vampire@hotmail.com
ocdFreak
March 11, 2010
Ok. I think something is up with my internet connection or something.. are there ever times when msn messenger won't let you sign in? it's taking awhile to sign me on for some reason...

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