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Arobda , 25 Jun 2012

Making my commitment

I have been a skin picker since about 5th grade when my mom first showed me how to pick a blackhead. In the last about 10 years it's gotten really bad (even more so in the last 4 months). My face is worse than ever and I'm starting to scar my face. My 4 year old is even starting to pick at things now and I CAN'T pass this along like my mom passed it along to me! I've tried a lot of different things to stop skin picking, but with bad habits I've had in the past, accountability is the best way I overcome. I'm going to start keeping a daily log on here. PLEASE keep me accountable. I usually can only go 2 days max without picking. If you want me to keep you accountable too, I will. I will also try to put up pictures to show my progress. If you have any tips, tricks, or advice for picking, please let me know. I pick when I'm stressed mainly. When I pick 1, I pick them all. I always tell myself I can only pick 1 and stop, but I can't. This has really brought down my self-esteem
16 Answers
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sickandtired87
June 25, 2012
I know exactly how you feel. I always say I'll just pick that little flake of skin, or just pop that pimple but it never stops there. I too have a seriously lowered self esteem because of picking and mine is also triggered by stress. The best thing to do is find ways to relax and try to keep your hands busy. I've started a challenge for myself to not pick for 27 days.....because my wedding is in 27 days and I want so badly not only to look beautiful but to finally feel beautiful too. Do this challenge with me! If we can make it 27 days what's 28 or 29 or 100?? I will keep you in check if you do the same for me. We can do this!
Arobda
June 25, 2012
That sounds good to me! Even thought it was embarrassing, I emailed my sisters and my parents asking them to keep me accountable too and told them I need help. I told them to send me texts daily to make sure I don't pick. :) So DON'T PICK. :) I read somewhere that it's only going to make you feel better in the moment and that's so true for me :( And better yet, lets not even look in the mirror except for doing our hair (and do it with the light off, it's okay if there are a few crazy hairs, haha) . For me looking ALWAYS leads to picking. We are going to make sure you look great for you wedding and I can look great when I start back to school in the fall. GO us! Here's a challenge: If you even get the urge to pick, make yourself to 10 sit-ups and 5 push-ups. (That worked for me for the first few days last time I tried to stop, haha)
sickandtired87
June 25, 2012
I LOVE that idea about doing a mini work out instead, I've been complacent about excercise lately so that will be a bonus! Also, I like your challenge to not look in the mirror. I do it to, way to much. Especially in the car. I accept that challenge! You are going to go back to the school feeling fresh and renewed!!! Stick with it girl!!! :)
Arobda
June 25, 2012
And just think how beautiful you are going to look at your wedding!! Remember NO looking in the mirror and lets not even touch our face! My sister sent me this Bible verse and I thought I would repeat it to myself anytime I felt the desire to pick: Proverbs 26:11 "As a dog returns to its vomit, so a fool repeats his folly."
Arobda
June 26, 2012
Totally feeling the temptation right now. But I'm going to not pick :) I can't stand looking at white heads. It's like the mirror draws me in, haha. We CAN do this! We need to do it for us! :) Must stay completely AWAY from the mirror...arg!
Arobda
June 26, 2012
Thanks for the suggestion! Got through day 1. I'm so glad to have support on here :) My family doesn't quite understand my picking. I'm pretty much the only person I know that enjoys picking acne outside of this forum. I think that's the hardest part of breaking this habit/addiction...it's enjoyable, so it makes it so hard, but it's also so self-destructive. Let not return to our vomit, lets keep this up! How did you do today?
sickandtired87
June 26, 2012
Thanks for the Bible verse! I am definitely going to keep repeating that to myself today. I did really good at not looking in the mirror yesterday and for most of the day so far today. But I looked in the mirror in the car on the way home from work and I got the biggest urge to pick the scabs that are healing from my most recent pick binge:( But! I did what you suggested and as soon as I got home I did pushups and situps, and then I came right onto this forum because I knew I'd find comfort in people who understand what I am going through!!!! I know what you mean about it being enjoyable, but remember it's only enjoyable in the moment...then we have to live with the after math. It's almost soothing to me when I am stressed out...I just go at it and its as if I am in a trance...and then afterwards when I snap out of it I feel like dirt:( I am glad I came on here because I already feel the urge to pick decreasing. Keep up the good work, stay out of that mirror! WE CAN DO THIS!!!!!!
sickandtired87
June 26, 2012
Oh! And! I read somewhere that putting aloe vera gel on your scabs can help them to heal faster and be a little less pink, so I tried it last night. It tingled a little bit, but my scabs seemed to be a little more healed this morning. I think I am going to do it again tonight!
Arobda
June 26, 2012
No picking today. Even if we feel like there is something we HAVE to pick or pop, let's NOT do it. Every time we pick we are leaving a potential scar. Would we rather have a zit for a couple days or a scar forever? We can stop this!! If you use your hands, put gloves on, if you use bobby pins (like me) or something else, throw them away until the habit is gone (which is what I'm going to do today). Lets take one day at a time :) Wedding and School here we come!
Arobda
June 27, 2012
Day 3 Made it through another day. Yesterday was really hard. I had people telling me it will get worse before it gets better and boy were they right. Yesterday I had so many fierce whiteheads and pain all over my face that it was really hard for me not to pick. Today my face looks surprisingly better. I still have about 5-6 yucky whiteheads driving me crazy, but everywhere else the redness has gone down a lot. This is the first time in a long time that I found myself giving more attention to the spots that are looking better than the spots that I want to pick. It has also been nice not to cry myself to sleep from the shame of picking the last 2 nights. My dad told me that I need to find something I dislike to do for my punishment from picking more then the joy I get from picking and for me that's telling my family I failed (since I told them to keep me accountable and they have been). I don't want to tell them I picked more than I have the desire to pick, so it's been really helpful. If you can find something you don't want to do more than you want to pick it's REALLY helpful! On a side note my face has been REALLY itchy. I'm guessing that from the healing, but it's making it hard to not pick scabs. I find myself having to sit on my hands to not pick my face, haha
skreed29
June 28, 2012
itching means healing (: (: (: (: (: (: (: keep it up ! keep your face moisturized ! it will be nice and soothing and help with the itching. im proud that you have made it this far (:
sickandtired87
June 28, 2012
Today was REALLY hard, but it got better and I had some good things happen. I made it through day 3, but barely. I had a dress fitting today in my hometown and I had to see my mom who is, while as sweet and helpful as possible, pretty critical of my picking habit. The whole drive (1 1/2hrs) I kept looking at my reflection in the mirror...so I definitely failed no mirrors for today and the fact that I couldn't keep myself from looking really made me frustrated. I kept hating what I saw and feeling so down. When I finally made it to my fitting I was so happy to find that my dress fits perfectly and is so beautiful but then I would see my face in the mirror and get filled with regret and anxiousness. Ugh. Later my mom offered me a bribe not to pick...she said she would pay for my hair and nails for the wedding if I don't pick at all until then...the big day has put a pretty big hole in my pocket so I hope this helps me stay strong!!!!!
Arobda
June 28, 2012
Oh nice!!! My mom is the same way, very sweet, but hates that I pick. My sister offered me a bribe too. She has a friend that does facials and offered to give me a full facial if I can not pick for a month. I unintentionally picked a couple zits today, haha. I was scratched my face and popped a couple zits, whoops! But I don't think those count since I wasn't trying to, lol. I'm glad you made it through and I'm glad you have a good support system too. I really think we can do this! And remember we both need to stay AWAY from the mirrors! I kept looking at my face when I was driving too and I finally had to completely close the mirror in the car and move it away so I wouldn't look in it. Keep up the good work. Our faces are going to feel SO good when they clear up :D What I keep telling myself is the zits are only temporary, the healing or scars are forever
Arobda
June 30, 2012
How are you doing? I'm doing pretty well. My face has been clearing up quite a bit. It's by no means perfect, but it's getting there, so it's been encouraging me to keep up non-picking. I can't tell you how many times I go up to the mirror and put my fingers on my face to pick a zit and then stop myself before I squeeze. Then I have leave the bathroom immediately and quickly distract myself, haha. But that is something I would have never been able to do before :)
sickandtired87
June 30, 2012
I am doing really good, and I hope you are too! Ive been extremely busy this past couple days, and that has helped me to not pick, mostly because I just don't have time! My scabs are almost healed and I'm starting to feel less monsterous. I'm still getting urges, but I just keep busy and it is helping for now. I hope you are doing so good!!!!!

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