A Friendly Challenge

Hi Meryl,

Throughout this journey, I’ve learned that progress is full of “ups and downs” — I found the tracking app and timer to be a helpful starting point — but I’ve also had to rely on other strategies when I was struggling.

It’s important to gain insight into the picking behaviors and understand patterns and triggers.  For me, I found that my worst episodes were generally at night / when I was tired. 

Overall, I would say my progress has been positive — there have certainly been setbacks — but I’ve tried to use them as learning experiences, rather than viewing them as outright “failures.”

Some other strategies that have helped include: 

-Wearing some type of barrier on my fingers at night — could be gloves, medical tape, bandaids, etc.  Just something to prevent “feeling” any bumps or perceived flaws on my skin. 

-Using hydrocolloid patches/bandages to either prevent a picking episode or to properly “cover” an area that I previously picked. A dermatologist recommended the hydrocolloid bandages — and they can actually stay on for several days before removal.  The bandages expedite healing — and it’s another way to create a barrier between my hands and my skin.  

-Asking for support from trusted family / friends and being upfront about my struggles.  Picking can make me feel like “a monster” — It really impacts my confidence, and I can easily go into a negative cycle about my appearance. Through talking with trusted sources, I’ve learned that EVERYONE struggles with SOMETHING — and the guilt/shame I feel after picking isn’t really justified. Yes, I struggle with this habit/disorder — but it doesn’t make me a bad person.

-Exploring SSRIs and other medications. Medicine is never the “full answer” — there’s no specific medicine (yet) for “picking” — but some can help to address associated anxiety, depression, or OCD.  I attend virtual appointments with a licensed medical provider — and have explored SSRIs (antidepressants) and other medications to target anxiety. I’ve found a combination of Lexipro and a low dose of buspar to be helpful, but everyone responds differently to meds. I would say, however, that it’s worthy of exploration with a medical professional. Over the counter supplements like NAC have also been found to possibly help with picking by addressing other brain chemicals like glutamate. 

-Participating in some type of therapy or coaching program. I participated in an online coaching program specific to skin picking — and found it to be helpful/insightful.  I learned the concept of “tracking” my picking behaviors during the program and also learned some ways to avoid triggers (e.g., covering my bathroom mirror where I picked the most, using a dim light in the bathroom to avoid constant “checking” of my skin). 
 

I hope some of this information is helpful — and I appreciate you reaching out.  

Wishing everyone love, self-acceptance, and success.