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Hello.
I don't know how many times I have started typing a message and deleted it all because I just don't know how to verbalized this for the very first time in my life. I am 29 years old and have done this from an early age. I also have scoriasis which is dry skin that flakes off. Because of my dry skin, I never cause wounds by picking, because I always pick the dead stuff and eat it. It is on my ears, scalp,elbows and knees. I also chew on my fingers but not too terribly as well as pick at my feet. I also eat my scabs if I get an injury during daily life mishaps. I sit in my cubicle at work or at home on the couch and pick pick pick. I don't even realize it sometimes. At the same time, I never seem to do it around people. I feel disgusted with myself and I feel like a freak. I don't know how to stop. I also have an over eating disorder. I guess I have a lot of issues that are probably deeply rooted. I came upon this site and I guess I am just looking for some sort of support and to not feel alone anymore. Thanks for reading. I hope I didn't gross you out.
so I got on here to figure out if something was wrong with me. I do something similar to what you do. I started when I was like 9 and im 18 now. I do have flaky dry skin but I don't eat that, only what can pick of my scalp. I bite the inside of my cheeks and lips and will just chew on it. Iv done this sense before I can remember, I have scares on the inside of my mouth from it. Ill start doing both with out even realizing it, though iv noticed that I usually do it if im thinking hard on something but ill still start if im not thinking. I do it in front of people with out realizing it and when I do realize ill stop or try to hid it. I hide it mostly because I got made fun of when people did see it.
Hi, girl,
Don't be so hard on yourself. All of us here have this strange picking addiction. I pick at my scabs and eat them too. It's not like I'm going to get full of 10 scabs if I'm hungry lol, I guess it's just a little piece of crunchy skin on the teeth that somehow makes me happy for 0.1 seconds. And then, of course, I feel guilty for picking. Even if I pick at just one pimple, I feel so ashamed and embarrassed. I feel as if everyone who looks at me feels grossed out by what I did and knows my dirty sad secret. Hang in there, you are not alone.
Hi there and welcome to this forum! As nastyab said, we here all know where you're coming from, so no need to be ashamed - hell, I've been chewing scabs for so long it never even occurred to me that some people *don't*! It is really interesting that you also have an eating-disorder - so do I! Why would we choose to be ashamed of that? It's just a way we have chosen to respond to pressures in life, and we are free to choose another way. I affirm today that I make choices that support me. Great to have you with us! Keep us posted...it's great for all of us here to hear from each other.