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WhiteRus , 21 Oct 2012

I was doing so well!

So my picking in the last few weeks has been minimal. I was doing so well, all the scabs on my arms had healed and I was barely picking my face (a pimple here or there). I stopped picking to the point of bleeding and I was so proud of myself! And then Tuesday happened. My mood dropped and I started picking again. Anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour and a half per session. My arms and face have scabs now and I feel like I failed. And once I started, it was so hard to stop again! I kept telling myself "I just need to clean up my arms and face and start over" but that never happens, in my mind, there is always something to pick. I've been doing better in the last few days but its still so hard and my confidence is waning.
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olivegreen
October 22, 2012
Have you ever known someone who is trying to quit smoking? I equate your situation closely to that. Think about it this way and you won't feel shameful--you tried to quit. You really did. You had a setback. So, what do you do? You try to quit again. The average smoker quits smoking a few times before it really "sticks." My biggest tip? Don't let yourself start picking, not even a tiny bit. You have to be dedicated to quitting, and that means not picking once. A person who is quitting smoking needs to do the same--never have a puff of a cigarette. My biggest motivation for quitting picking is to regain control of something that I have lost control over, and my success (and failures) up to now reflect that I am regaining control. Not to throw another analogy at you, but it's like tug of war--it's not that you overpower the person you are playing against and they lose control of the rope and you instantly win, is it? No, you pull back and forth, with sometimes you winning and sometimes the other person winning until a final victor is at hand. :)
WhiteRus
October 22, 2012
I've tried to quit smoking at least 10 times so I can definitely understand that analogy... I haven't picked since yesterday morning when I peeled off all the scabs that I accumulated last week. Wearing gloves helps, especially when I'm in a high stress environment. This is all just so difficult. I've been working on this intensively for 3 months now. I'm definitely getting better and picking less, but these lapses just kick my ass...
olivegreen
October 22, 2012
I hear ya. I've been working on quitting for over a month, and I still have urges to pick and find myself mindlessly picking. It can definitely be draining, but it's worth the work.
WhiteRus
October 22, 2012
Yea. I only saw improvement when I started doing work around it. Luckily I have an amazing therapist who specializes in dermatillomania so I have learned some amazing strategies. I also in a weekly dermatillomania group where I'm able to meet others who have the same issues. My life is slowly getting better through the work.
Emmi
October 23, 2012
I like hearing people compare skin picking to quitting smoking, because it is a similar journey, You have to remember every time you try, you are one step closer. I have quit smoking, It's been 10 months now, and I haven't looked back. I know I can do the same with my skin picking. you can too :)

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