To tell or not to tell..?

my parents think i over reacct too... i no how u feel. show them your scars, and where u pick. tell them how much it hurts and u cant help but to pick.

your picking is very likely related to stress!! so that wouldn't be a lie really. also, i had a hard time describing this to my boyfriend as well as my mom. but i showed them both an excerpt from a book about it and said, read this, this is how i feel, this is what i think. and they both were totally understanding after that (well much more than before that's for sure). it helps when people hear something from an independent source. good luck, don't worry, it's ok, you're going to get through this!!! at least that's what i keep telling myself :)

I pick too. I told mom about it tonight (well put her on this site about it) and she read some stuff and she was like you only pick when you are nervous or bored. I told her about it so she could do something to help me stop. I don't think she will do anything about it. No one has seen me pick- i hide it and i hide the scars/marks.cuts from it. Good luck with your parents :)

You probably have OCD so tell your parents that . You can tell the Dr. when you get there in more detail about the scabs. PLEASE PLEASE please tell - you cannot get better alone. - To get what you've never had - you have to do what you've never done. ~*~

Dermotillomania, or Compulsive Skin Picking (CSP) can affect anyone at any time. It is a condition that can seriously affect the individual's personal and working life. What may start as an apparently innocent behaviour - an attempt to remove and deal with small skin imperfections and irregularities - can all too soon turn into a compulsion that leaves the individual feeling powerless and confused. The person who picks compulsively at their skin can spend extended periods of time engaged in this activity and this can have negative consequences for his or her work and social relationships. In extreme case, this chronic and often poorly understood condition can reach such serious proportions that severe skin damage and actual disfigurement can occur. Usually, the person suffering from this compulsive disorder repeatedly scratches, picks, rubs or digs their nails into the skin. Often this behaviour can be triggered by stress and underlying emotional difficulties such as anxiety, fear or simply boredom. Modern thinking on CSP or dermotillomania is that it belongs to a group of disorders known as Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours or BFRBs. Other conditions belonging to this group are such things as chronic nail biting and compulsive hair pulling. It is important that anyone engaging in compulsive skin picking consult a medical doctor so that any possible medical condition can be eliminated. Read on at : http://www.ideamarketers.com/?Dermotillomania_-_How_to_Stop_Skin_Picking&articleid=672357&from=PROFILE

Many in-patient and out-patient treatment centers list "Skin picking" under OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder), which is a recognized pyschosis. Your parents could read this, for example: http://www.ocdla.com/compulsiveskinpicking.html The site treats this and takes it seriously as a Disorder and here is some more that it talks about, but you should click the link and show your parents: This isn't even the whole thing so read more at the actual website. Good Luck! ! ! ! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Compulsive Skin Picking - Symptoms and Treatment OCD Center Los Angeles The primary characteristic of Compulsive Skin Picking (CSP) is the repetitive picking at one's own skin to the extent of causing damage. Usually, but not always, the face is the primary location for skin picking. However CSP, also known as Dermatillomania, Neurotic Excoriation, or Chronic Skin Picking, may involve any part of the body. Individuals with Compulsive Skin Picking may pick at normal skin variations such as freckles and moles, at actual pre-existing scabs, sores or acne blemishes, or at imagined skin defects that nobody else can observe. Individuals with Dermatillomania may also useCompulsive Skin Picking their fingernails or teeth, as well as tweezers, pins or other mechanical devices. As a result, CSP may cause bleeding, bruises, infections, and/or permanent disfigurement of the skin. Sometimes skin-picking is preceded by a high level of tension and a strong "itch" or "urge". Likewise, skin-picking may be followed by a feeling of relief or pleasure. A CSP episode may be a conscious response to anxiety or depression, but is frequently done as an unconscious habit. Individuals with Compulsive Skin Picking often Dermatillomaniaattempt to camouflage the damage caused to their skin by using make-up or wearing clothes to cover the subsequent marks and scars. In extreme cases, individuals with Dermatillomania may avoid social situations in an effort to prevent others from seeing the scars, scabs, and bruises that result from skin picking. As demonstrated above, Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania has obsessive-compulsive features that are quite similar to OCD, BDD and Trichotillomania. It is sometimes found in individuals with these disorders, as well as in patents with certain medical conditions. In fact, a recent study found that 23% of those with OCD, and 27% of those with BDD, also had CSP. Though not currently listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV) published by the American Psychiatric Association, some researchers believe Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania merits distinction as a separate diagnostic entity. Treatment of Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania The primary treatment modality for Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania is a combination of various types of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Perhaps the most important of these is called Habit Reversal Training (HRT). HRT is based on the principle that skin picking is a conditioned response to specific situations and events, and that the individual with Dermatillomania is frequently unaware of these triggers. HRT challenges Compulsive Skin Picking in a two-fold process. First, the individual learns how to become more consciously aware of situations and events that trigger skin picking episodes. Second, the individual learns to utilize alternative behaviors in response to these situations and events. Other Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy techniques can be used as adjuncts to HRT in the treatment of Compulsive Skin Picking. Among these are Stimulus Control techniques and Cognitive Restructuring. Stimulus Control techniques involve utilizing specific physical items as "habit blockers" to restrict the ability to pick skin, while Cognitive Restructuring helps an individual with Dermatillomania learn to think differently in response to the urge to pick their skin. One of the most effective CBT developments for the treatment of Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy. The primary goal of Mindfulness-Based CBT is to learn to non-judgmentally accept uncomfortable psychological experiences. From a mindfulness perspective, much of our psychological distress is the result of trying to control and eliminate the discomfort of unwanted thoughts, feelings, sensations, and urges. In other words, our discomfort is not the problem – our attempt to control and eliminate our discomfort is the problem. For those with Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania, the ultimate goal of mindfulness is to develop the ability to more willingly experience their uncomfortable thoughts, feelings, sensations, and urges, without picking their skin. Individual Therapy for The Treatment of Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania The OCD Center of Los Angeles offers individual therapy for the treatment of adults, children, and adolescents with Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania. Using the Cognitive Behavioral Therapy techniques outlined above, clients with Compulsive Skin Picking learn to respond differently to thoughts about their skin, and to resist the urge to pick their skin. We have four therapists on staff, and offer services six days a week, including evenings and Saturdays. If you would like to discuss treatment options at the OCD Center of Los Angeles, you can call us at (310) 824-5200, or click here to email us. Group Therapy for the Treatment of Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania In addition to individual therapy, the OCD Center of Los Angeles also offers five weekly, low-fee, therapy/support groups for adults with OCD and related conditions, including a group exclusively for adults with Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania. This group is led by one of our staff therapists, and uses the same treatment protocol as our individual Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy program. Our weekly Dermatillomania / Trichotillomania group is held on Saturday mornings, and is limited to eight (8)participants. For more information on this group, click here. Telephone and Online Therapy for Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania The OCD Center of Los Angeles also offers telephone and webcam-based online therapy to clients throughout California suffering with Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillmania. Telephone and online therapy are cost-effective options for clients who have physical and/or psychological limitations that restrict their ability to come to our office, and for those in remote areas who cannot find specialized Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania treatment close to their home. Telephone and internet therapy have repeatedly been found to be safe and effective in numerous research studies, and have been legal in California since 1997. If you would like to learn more about our telephone and online therapy program for Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania, please click here. If you are experiencing any of the above symptoms of Compulsive Skin Picking / Dermatillomania, and would like to discuss treatment options at the OCD Center of Los Angeles, you can call us at (310) 824-5200, or click here to email us.