Homeopathy for skin pickers

While medication has it's place in health and psychology, there is a growing movement of people advocating for more natural methods to treat common disorders. One such natural healing philosphy comes from homeopathy, which is:

treats each person as a unique individual with the aim of stimulating their own healing ability. A homeopath selects the most appropriate medicine based on the individual's specific symptoms and personal level of health.

Homeopaths believe that each individual has their own unique innate ability to self heal. They therefore work very holistically with each person, assessing the symptoms in all aspects of their being, ie. spiritual, emotional, social, mental and physical. Dermatillomania, or excoriation disorder as it 's now called, is a disorder that can impact negatively on all areas of an individual's life. To date we still do not have a clear understanding of what causes compulsive skin picking, athough there are studies that point toward genetics and neurological imbalances. It is also evident that excoriation disorder is a chronic disorder, which means that, while it is entirey possible to live a pick free life, it is something that will need to be managed indefinitely.

Can homeopathy help?

Homeopathic treatment is grounded in two core beliefs - firstly that the body knows how to heal itself and therefore symptoms are neccessary in th process of your healing, so medication given is a stimulus of this natural healing process. This principle is referred to as the 'like cures like' principle, or the idea that a substance taken in small amounts will cure the same symptoms it causes if it was taken in large amounts.

The second principle is known as the 'minimum dose' and states that only the bare minimum dosage should be administered because the medication works only to stmulate the body's natural healing process and not impose an external chemical process onto the mind or body. For this reason homeopathic remedies do not present with the side effects often associated with medication.

Homeopathic medicines are are all natural materials like plants and minerals that is prepared by repeatedly diluting and shaking it in a solution of water until finally it i added o  little lactose pillules. The following homeopathic medicines tends to be recommended for habitual type disorders such as skin picking:

Belladonna

Derived from the herbaceous tomatoe plant family, Belladonna has been used for centuries as a pain reliever, muscle relaxer, and anti-inflammatory. It works by blocking some of the functions of the body's nervous system and is used for skin picking where the behavior is related to sensory overlaod.

Cuprum

Cuprum is a metallic copper and is typically used to treat fear, restlessness and anxiety, a common trigger for skin picking.

Stramonium

Derived from the thorn apple, Jamestown-weed, or Stink-weed, and is used to treat fearfulness and restless sleep

Tarentula

Derived from the tincture of living spiders, these tablets are used to trat impulsivity and mood fluctuations

A holistic approach

Homeopathy is no miracle cure for skin picking disorder and there is no empirical evidence that it will alleviate symptoms of skin picking. However, it is gentle on your system, it is safe to be taken from birth and is non-addicitve. If it makes no difference to your skin picking, you will not have risked suffering side effects for nothing. It is important to remember that the best and most effective way to treat body focussed repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) is with a holistic and comprehensive treatment plan that includes psychological therapy, nutrition, where applicable medication or homeopathy, and in some case even a lifestyle change. In addition, while homeopathic drugs are safe from birth, they may still be contraindicted when on certain other pharmacuetical drugs. It is therefore always advisable to consult your presribing doctor if you are already on medication. It is also advisable to seek the consultation and expertise of a homeopath.