From a very young age...

Hi all, I just found out about this site through a link on trich.org. I wanted to share my experience in the hopes that someone out there is also dealing with similar issues. My history of skin picking and hair pulling dates back to when I was four years old; I got hold of my mother's razor and attempted to shave my legs. As it's been nearly twenty-seven years since that time, I don't recall why I did it, but it got worse over the years. Around the time that I was in fourth grade, I had pulled out all of my eyelashes and was reprimanded. I felt ashamed and ugly, yet still kept on doing it. I stopped by the time that I entered junior high school (sixth grade), but I then started picking my skin and started pulling out my eyebrows. I still pull my eyebrows and pick my skin, especially during times of stress such as final exams; I have spent a considerable amount of money on concealer and that covers up the scabs pretty well, but I still end up picking. When I see an ingrown hair between my eyebrows or on my belly, I attack it with tweezers and a scab inevitably develops. I went to one support group meeting, but it was a new experience for me and I felt uncomfortable going back. Sometimes I try to monitor my picking, but it's hard to record anything when you're in the midst of an episode and feeling "numb." I think that I should be able to stop, but I don't know how :(. So any input would be much appreciated. Thanks, Melissa