relapse

Nadine, thanks for being brave to share what you're going through. Like you i have often been discouraged. It's been 2 months since I started to work on this habit of 15 years seriously and today I am on day 13 of the 21 day challenge. I have never in my whole life gone this long without picking. My abstinence from picking has not been perfect and that's ok. My picking is rooted in my perfectionism I believe, and so i feel that expecting perfection here would probably defeat the purpose. I am willing and ready to slowly make change in the direction of not harming myself anymore. If you're doing the best you can, trust that you are making progress in the right direction. Some things that have helped me work to reverse habit have been attending 12 step meetings (I replace whatever compulsion the group talks about with "compulsive skin picking"), journaling about the anxiety I feel before I pick, calling a friend to vent about my anxiety before I pick, and praying. Recently I found this blog, and have found this tapping technique helpful as well: http://www.bfrbcoaching.com/1/post/2013/04/eft-tapping-for-dermatillomania-video.html?utm_source=BFRB+Coaching&utm_campaign=d4dd3609a2-May_20135_1_2013&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_95c8d6c9ce-d4dd3609a2-72557513 Best of luck and keep us posted on how you're doing. You are not alone. Rosa

Same... I definitely feel your pain girl. I hide myself away after i pick and dont want anyone to see me, and when i didnt have a job this could be weeks at a time :/ I also know exactly what you mean when you say you're determined one day, and then a few days later you'll be picking again like its no big deal. it absolutely sucks. i question all the time why i even have an inclination to pick my skin in the first place, and i dont think any of us really knows the answer to that. but i do know it helps A TON to go on this website and read about other peoples struggles, because it helps us to know we're not alone!! for awhile i honestly thought it was just me, like i seriously thought no one else in the world did this. I too have felt like i needed some kind of miracle to quit picking once and for all.. in fact i felt like that just yesterday when i relapsed.. but then i pull myself together and think "no i can do this on my own. i got this". and it helps :) i know you can quit!!! we all can. we're in this together.