Help for lip- and fingerpickers

I've been picking my lips for ever now, and since I'm moving to the U.S. soon and I'm getting ready for med school, I've been quite stressed out lately, which worsened the picking on my lips and around my fingers. I'm basically running around town like a maniac with bloody fingers and lips, being looked at like some crazy masochist chick (which I think I am, I find my picking tick disturbing and disgusting). A couple of days ago, I stumbled over this site by accident and found myself relieved that I'm not the only disgusting monster that does this to herself. I started reading about dermatillomania and read all of your posts (which gave me an even bigger urge to pick myself), and came to the conclusion that I have to stop befor I start my first year at the university. I bought tons of different kinds of chap sticks, or "labello", as they're called here in Switzerland, and started using it everytime I came to the urge. Also, I try and have something in my hands at ALL times, like a pencil or my phone, anything really. To stop ripping that beautiful temptational skin around my thumbs and fingernails, I gave myself a beautiful manicure, so every time I look at my hands, I think about how "good" they look now (not like they can't look too good, they're all scared up) and how much I would regret picking at them later. This all whent really good, but then I hit the wall. I couldn't resist anymore (or more I've had such a bad head ache because I had to concentrate not to pick for days), so I slipped. Since two weeks now I haven't picked, and I have the perfect distraction. Now, befor you read this, it WILL sound stupid, maybe even sad, but here it comes: I knit. Yes, you read that right, I started knitting. Hats, scarves, anything. And for some weird reason, my disgustig urge has stopped. I think, everybody has to find something to do (no matter how disturbing), that takes their mind off of our urge. I hope you'll all find a way, I just hope I don't have to knit my hole life. Best of luck, Your Cynthia H.