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scratching skin on arms and legs.
I don't really know how to start this. So I'll just say that my main problem is scratching the skin on my arms/legs. When I first started it used to be mainly on my hands (I didn't really plan it like I do now) then I moved on to my legs and I'd scratch patterns like X and stuff. But now I scratch moles. It kinda happend my accident one time when I was making one of the random pattern on my leg I went over a mole and when it healed the mole didn't come back I was mega happy. I started to think "well I'd rather just have a small scar that I could cover then an ugly mole. :l" and since then any imperfection on my skin I have to pick, like if I get a paper cut I won't leave it till it scars. I also bite my lip and though I've been trying to stop my self I now notice that I also pick the skin round my nails. Another really bad habit I have is chewing plastic, well anything really. I don't really have such a problem with picking the achne on my face but I get the occasional black head on my back and again I won't leave that alone until it scars. I really want to stop I do. But I don't know that I can. Most of the time I don't even notice till im half way through picking that I am actually doing it. D: it makes me so ashamed because I know my family desperately want me to stop and part of me wants to wake up one day and the urge would have just dissapired. It just isn't that easy. >_<
January 29, 2011
I can really relate to how this effects your family. My big issue has become picking my face and scratching my scalp obsessivly, however there was a time when I was younger before I had acne that I can remember picking a the moles on my arm until they would bleed. Like you it was never my intension to get so wrapped up in it but I realized when I did it I felt some sort of relief like I was getting rid of something bad on or in me. My mom tells me to stop all the time, that I am 'scarring mt pretty face' but it just frustrated me because I dont want to be doing it either but my hands end up on my face without my comtrol anymore. I too want this to stop too. My finacee says just sit on your.hands and that works...for about a minute and then I get anxiety like there issimething I just need to take care of and if I can just do this(scrath or touch my face or scalp) ill feel better. I too welcome the day I wake up and this is all a thing of the past, but I realize its not that simple... There is work I need to do to sort out my mind, tje thoughts that preceed the action. One big thing I have always felt is that there.was something really wrong with me that I was somehow broken and nobody understood. I now know that this is an illness and there is nothing.wrong with me that I just have to get better and treat the problem and this forum is tthe.first step for me. To not be alone with this and to reach out to others to offer help just with my words so that im not just thinking about myself but focusing on others and how my experience with this illness can benefit the people who suffer with this. Thank you for your post, I found it helpful that someone could relate to the family aspect of this problem.(sorry for the typing errors im typing this on a new phone and im still getting use to the touch screen!)
February 14, 2011
I know exactly what you mean. I don't pick at my face because there isn't much to pick at, I do pop my zits though. I tear the skin around my nails until they bleed and I have scars on my upper arms. My legs are the worst though, I dread going to bed because every night I find myself picking and even after realizing what i am doing I still can't stop. My parents are really worried but I find it too embarrassing to talk about. Although it sounds so wrong and I would never wish this upon anyone, it is nice to hear that i'm not the only one with this problem