Tips to stop picking

ive been picking my scalp, and pretty much every part of my body (except for hands and feet) for over 10 years now, and though i have not successfully been able to stop for good, there are some things that help and make it worse so i just want to share them. some people say they pick due to stress or anxiety, but for me i will even pick if i am excited or happy. so we all have our reasons and some techniques will work better than others. i wish there was a simple fix to it, but if youve been in the habit of it for a long time, it isnt going to be easy and will take work. ___KEEP YOURSELF BUSY___ when i was working alot, my routine was wake up, go to work and after a full shift, i was usually pretty tired and just wanted to relax. ___KEEP HANDS BUSY___ you can play with rubber bands,a worry stone, or maybe a stress ball. play video games, draw, write etc. ___ STAY OUT OF BATHROOM___ dont go in there unless you need to. if it helps, keep the lights off or cover your mirrors with a sheet. ___ WEAR MORE CLOTHING___ i try to wear shirts with a tighter neck so i cant pull it down to pick my chest. or long pants for legs. just make it more difficult to get too. ___CUT NAILS___ cut your nails short as possible so its difficult to pick scabs and pop things. i find this better than using fake nails. ___STAY AWAY FROM CERTAIN LIGHTING___ theres this one light in the bedroom i use thats super bright and can see every little blackhead on my body. if you need to, replace the bulb with something dimmer. ___ KEEP MOISTURIZED___ not only will this help heal the scabs but will make it more difficult to pick cuz your fingers will slide. ___BANDAIDS-___ if theres particular spots you just cant stop picking at and continue creating deep holes, keep a bandaid on it until it has healed enough where you wont want to keep popping. ___ PAIN___ before you go messing with a bump remember the outcome of it. sure you might get some stuff out of it, or maybe itll turn into one of those big cystic pimples that hurts horribly and then your mad at yourself because you created it. ___THERAPY___ this i have no tried, but if you are able to seek professional help it might be best. ___ ANTIDEPRESSANTS OR WEED___i noticed someone mentioned weed helped them from picking, if that helps then good. I have a pretty stubborn mind, but if weed helps you then id choose that over pills anyday. I have read some antidepressants can help, such as SSRI's because they can help OCD. i am currently on Sertraline ( only been a month tho) and to be honest, my picking has gotten worse. but that could change, and everyone is different. one thing that helps one person may not help another. ___TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF___ us pickers tend to do alot of damage to our skin. the only way to prevent it is to stop, but once the damage is done make sure you take care of it. disinfect your skin to keep wounds from getting infected. dont over-treat your skin with drying products, it will only make it worse. always wash hands before touching your face or picking anything. drink lots of water, and exercise to keep your skin hydrated. ___FOCUS___ realize want your doing and be conscious of it. everytime you notice yourself feeling your body for bumps or touching scalp, make yourself STOP. focus on how much better you will feel about yourself once you have fixed this. it might not solve all your problems but not having to worry about picking or what your gunna wear that day or covering spots with make up will take a load off. STAY POSITIVE AND KEEP TRYING! :)