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wildflower , 27 Mar 2010

Care to share and inspire?

How about a post in which to share our plans? -- Have you embarked on a dedicated path to battle the compulsion to pick at your skin, whichever part of your body it is? Have you chosen certain methods or tactics to do so? How about sharing what you are hoping to do and what is helping you along the way? If we have a post of our stories of making a committed effort and sharing a few words about it - only a few lines of text even, then perhaps more will be inspired to join in the effort and post as well. Even share some setbacks. We can keep up on our progresses all in one post. -- Keep it short, sweet, and honest and hopefully positive. It is a tough road, but sharing our successes and our setbacks might be of some support for each of us on our path. How about it? What is your plan? What is your approach? How is it going? Have you read other posts and gotten inspiration from them? Have you found other helpful sites? Please share and inspire. So many have shared their histories. Let's help inspire healthy futures and see who will join the effort to conquer this affliction.
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wildflower
March 27, 2010
I'll start --- Traditionally a “people-pleaser” and too often putting others before myself, I am finally taking better care of myself, particularly my skin because it has suffered horribly for too long by my own hand. I am eating better, drinking more water, taking my vitamins and medications faithfully, cleansing properly, moisturizing my skin, resisting scratching and picking, using sunscreen, trying to get more exercise, I quit smoking long ago, I drink red wine only very moderately, I try to get good sleep but could keep better hours, and I am keeping active on this site to help keep me on this track and also to hopefully inspire others to think now, about their treatment of their skin, rather than later as I have. I wish the information and resources that are available now were back then just as I wish there were people willing to support others with this issue. It was unheard of and I was alone and I don’t want anyone to feel that. Ultimately, I am loving myself more now and believe others need to love themselves more too. I committed first to not picking one hour or one day at a time, then to the 40 day challenge once I had a week under my belt. I have 8 days to make that challenge and will take it one day at a time thereafter. My skin suffered abuse for too many years. It has healed now and I have some scars and redness yet but plan to pamper those areas to reduce their appearance. If I have a setback, I will forgive myself, not admonish myself, and will begin a new day with resolve. If I can go this far, I know I will be able to do so again. If I, after so many years of being addicted to skin picking as I have been, can accomplish this many days of treating my skin properly and with love, I believe others can too with a little encouragement along with a sincere plan and commitment. That’s my story, and hope that others might be inspired by it. At the very least, my skin is happier and i hope to keep it that way.
40daysfromnow
March 30, 2010
I am a woman in university who has been picking for about 5 years. I pick my face and pretty much just my face. This causes me more distress than anything else right now. I am desperate to cure myself and after a bad setback and loss of hope, I am back at it. Yesterday I made up my mind again to change. I have developed a support system between my significant other and all of you on here. A few days ago I was a picker, but I am not that person anymore. I look and feel good without makeup and I want to be able to live makeup free this summer. My plan: I have printed off a calendar to fill with stickers after each day of success. I have purchased some scented candles that I find stress relieving that light my bathroom enough to function but not enough to pick. I look at photos of people with clear skin to keep me motivated. Each night that I don't pick, I know that I can wake up to my significant other telling me that my skin looks better/ good. We should all make a commitment to post our thoughts and progress as often as possible. This would help me, and may help others. Knowing that we are all going through this together is inspirational and motivational. Keep posting! Luv you guys!
allovertheplace
March 30, 2010
After my earilier post of Boyfriend, Makeup, Breakdown, I had a long talk with my parents who encouraged me, and provided a warm shoulder for my wet tears. With eyes red, and my skin broken, I am ready to say quite bluntly 'fuck this bullshit'. I am throwing away all of my makeup as we speak, using all natural products like Burt's Bees and following wildflower's advice of a honey antibacterial mask. I will go to work tomorrow for the first time with no makeup. I am meeting my boyfriend tomorrow before work for the first time without makeup, telling him the truth, and telling him I need to heal with or without him. I have no idea how people will react, but it does not matter, the only thing that matters is my health and my no makeup policy and pure acceptance is my plan. I will from here on out look in the mirror with my head held high, no more shuddering and look at my scarred and sore face and tell myself what will heal, will heal, what marks remain will be my proud testimony of this difficult time.
wildflower
March 30, 2010
i admire your shoulder to the wind approach you're taking. i only tried once going without makeup when my skin was bad and it turned out to be a traumatic experience for me because people can be so thoughtless too often. i hope your experience doesn't set you back. if reactions aren't good, though, just file them away. if you need to wear makeup to get through the days, then do so, choosing the right products and trying to get your skin to be healed over before applying it. bandages over night will help that and help keep fingers off of things to pick and make worse. wear bandages where you can during the day, too, to assist with the healing process. that's so important. your body needs your skin intact as its barrier to the world. its bandage so to speak. it's good to hear your parents are supporters, too. about honey, i've read that manuka honey is the best but it is expensive, and that raw honey has the best medicinal benefits. i just bought some today and heated a bit up as it is not liquid and it felt real nice putting it on warmed. i think it's great that it can be used on skin with wounds on it and sure wish i'd heard of it long ago. now that my skin has healed i'll still use it from time to time but i also look forward to pampering myself with mashed banana masks, avocado masks, oatmeal masks and various combinations !! lol but back to you, i'm sad you are so down now but perhaps it's only upward to go from where you are and hopefully you'll just keep getting better and better with your resolve. all the best to you !! <3 <3 <3
allovertheplace
April 01, 2010
Mmmmm. those masks sound nice! haha. Well tomorrow will be day three of me no longer wearing makeup and it feels fantastic. People don't seem to notice. Its funny, the first thing I see when I look in the mirror is the mess i've made on my face, but people haven't said anything. When I was fifteen though, my picking was much worse and my mother took my makeup away from me thinking that it would resolve the problem. When i went to school people stared, and a guy asked if i was sick, or if i had chicken pox. I actually left school and went to the store, but had no money so applied all of the nasty sample makeup to my face. But now some years have passed, my picking is still there but not as bad and now this is my decision, i'm in control. No one took my makeup away, i myself took it from myself. Without wearing makeup i don't seem to pick because i know i don't have anything to hide the damage, although i did pop some pimples tonight, but i think i'll be okay. Since I'm a cook, my skin seems to produce a couple sweat and fry pimples every night. haha, but i'm learning that i don't need to be perfect.
wildflower
April 01, 2010
it's interesting to read that not wearing makeup is helpful to you. wearing makeup was helpful to me to prevent me from picking. i would not want to destroy the mask. i am cheap though and whenever i felt i'd been using the same tube or jar i'd convince myself that it might be contaminated and would need to replace it and that would present its own set of anxieties. so that was one thing that was on the plate to make me want to stop picking was so i would not "have" anything significant to cover up and that is where i am now. i'm not worrying about the pink residual scarring that hopefully will keep fading. i will cover those up to go to anything really public, tho! but not for just a trip to the grocery store. when my face was bad about 15 yrs ago and i tried to go out in public a bank teller freaked out when he looked up and asked me what happened to me and i was traumatized so much by that that i have worn makeup every day since then up until about my 3rd week on this challenge! it's great though, that you have come to that place where you are comfortable with your complexion enough to be "you". hopefully you will pick less and less. it's too bad you have a job that actually promotes pimples so much there's the name "fry pimples"! perhaps they'll be fewer and fewer with you popping less and less of them. i hope you find tactics that work for you in your situation! <3 <3 <3 and yes, the masks are nice :) and it feels good to pamper myself for once :)
cherrycolalola
April 01, 2010
I feeel you allovertheplace! The pure acceptance plan is what Im trying to do. Ive told a lot of friends and family about my problem and its been liberating. I havent been wearing makeup either, but the last few days I started to use cover up once in a while. I tried talking to my mother about this, and although she tried to help she basically made a case for why I should/could wear it. Its good to hear from people who aren't. I think its the best way, and its helped me in the past. When I know I can partially cover up what I've done I pick more. One of the strategies Im doing is to not look in mirrors at all for a while. I just need a break. I only criticize myself when I look in mirrors, so why do it at all? Im also going back to tracking every time I pick and meditating/ praying every morning and night (wether i feel like it or not). Im also limiting myself from the internet. Sites like facebook cause me to compare myself to others and either feel worse about myself or jealous. I agree with you FUCK THIS BULLSHIT!
bm
March 30, 2010
I have been picking my skin since I was about ten and started getting spots. It would start with squeezing out a spot, and now I will actively seek the smallest clogged pore to start working on it. It gives me a strange feeling of calm. I also have a mild social anxiety, so the two problems (I am loathe to call them 'conditions', as I admit I don't suffer as much as many) are making a vicious circle. When it first started, it was acne-triggered, and I told myself that I would have red sores because of my spots anyway, but now I am older, I have to admit that it is me doing this, not my hormones. So I have started a 40-day plan, from midnight last night, just after I found this site. My finish date is Sat 8th May, which doesn't seem all that long away! I am wearing make-up most days, and at night, after cleansing and toning, using a gentle moisturiser all over, plus a tattoo-healing balm on any sores that I have. I love the smell, it's all natural and oil-based, so it retains moisture and soothes, but lets air circulate. Even though I'm still on day 1, it sort of feels good to have this resolve, and my skin already feels less sore. I used to bite my nails, and I stopped. I used to smoke, and I stopped. So I know I can do this, though it might not be easy. Sorry all that is a bit long, I've never been very good at staying on topic!
bm
March 30, 2010
PS : please excuse the rambling, but I just thought of another strategy : not letting yourself closer to your mirror than an arm's length - that will allow you to do your make-up (providing your eyesight is okay), but you will probably not be able to see all of those miniscule picking candidates. It may not be that practical if you have a very small bathroom, but it is an idea nonetheless! My skin was always at it's best at my mum's old house, where the sink was just too big to get your face close to the mirror!
wildflower
March 30, 2010
all the best to you on your 40 plan !!! with your success with breaking previous habits i believe you have what it takes to break this one too. no, it won't be easy. breaking habits aren't. it takes time, a commitment, and the right tactics as well as support. i hope you have good support in your life and find support and helpful information here too. again, all the best to you !! <3 <3 <3
40daysfromnow
April 11, 2010
Well! :) I had a really tough night emotionally, but with the help of my sig. other, I had a flawless day for not picking. Didn't touch my skin once and it shows :)
randomshelly
April 11, 2010
hey guys, I started the 40 day challenge yesterday, got through a day. Being honest I have a good complexion right now, previously i've has scabs all over my face but now i just have a few marks that are slowly fading. Right now I just have a big scab on my nose from picking a pimple =( I'm thinking positively and wondering if anyone new good remedies for healing scabs faster, I'm trying to focus things to help it to block out the urge to pick at it! I'm using aloe vera gel because apparently it's great for healing and an antiseptic cream because apparently keeping a scab moist helps it faster then being dry. Any home remedies people can recommend?! I'm on day two of my challenge now, so i'll let you know how it goes =) sheila x
wildflower
April 11, 2010
sores heal best if kept bandaged to keep the scab that forms moist. sores exposed to air to heal get hard scabs that cause the sore to heal slower and tend to leave more scarring. info found on ------> http://www.prleap.com/pr/142491/ <------ leave it bandaged with one that has adhesive on all sides of the bandage's pad so that air will not get at it all night long. riteaid's latex free round bandages work real well and have a nice large pad .it should heal well enough by morning to be able to put makeup on it for the day unless you pick at it -->DON'T !! <-- bandage it up again as soon as the makeup is removed for the night. i've found this works better than any ointments or creams as they invariably get rubbed off too soon.

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