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this is a very personal entry of a 20 year old trich/skin picking sufferer. i need coping skills!
hello everyone, i am brand new here and crying tears of joy and remorse for all of you and myself. i cant believe i found this site. i sweep this under the rug so much, that i dont even try to help myself, ive never really even looked for help.
anyway, i pick mostly at night when my boyfriend is at work. i also pull(trich) but not nearly as much as i used to, and thank god for that. i do not have bald spots anymore and it is truly by the grace of god. i have never been properly treated, ive never had effective therapy, so i know god has worked here with me to help.
the skin picking however, has only reduced because i live with my boyfriend and cannot afford to be all red when he sees me. until tonight, he has known nothing about my picking, he attributes the scars to my keratosis, which is what i have previously made him believe.
im relieved but also scared that he will now see new scars and know that i caused them myself. i need to get help for this. i begin culinary school on the 20th, in 4 days, and i cannot go on like this. i have scars all over my legs and arms, im sick of feeling not normal. i dream of scar removal but there is no point if my symptoms refuse to cease.
what should i do?!?!! i have no money for any sort f professional treatment.
September 20, 2010
Hi adrienb. If there is something in your life that helps reduce the picking, it's worth keeping. I too started to decrease my picking when I got married and had to be around my husband 24/7. I didn't want him to see me all swollen up after a session and I didn't want him to see the scabs and scars. ..........................................................................................(paragraph-break).......................................................................................... I started picking more cleverly by being more gentle to reduce scarring. It has decreased over time because of this, but I still do it. My acne also got better as I started to pick less. You are at the start of a new beginning by joining the forum. Since I've joined a few days ago I have been much more aware of my picking and even talked to my husband about it. At first I craved picking, so I went on a spree, but after that time I started stopping myself and reducing my time in front of the mirror. .................................................................................................................................................................................... Don't get me wrong, being aware and saying "stop" to yourself does not guarantee that you won't pick! But this is an impulse control problem, so the impulse is controlling you. Try to control the impulse. This is NOT EASY! But it's worth a try. ...................................................................................................................................................................................The last hope I can give you and the biggest, best coping skill for anything, yes, even this, is to pray. Sounds crazy? It's not. If there's someone who understands what you're going through, it is Him, so ask God to help you. Ask Him to guide you and save you and to let God take control of your life, instead of some stupid impulse issue that is ruining your life. Good luck and God bless!