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This is ruining my life.
My skin picking has gotten to the point where it's severely damaging my health and relationship with my parents . I started picking around sixth grade (11y/o) and it's been getting worse as the years have gone by. Currently I am 14 and a freshman in high school. Usually I just blame the picking on the amount of pressure and work my school puts on me to set a precedent (I go to a brand new school based on stem and pltw). I knew it was sort of normal to see people my age pick there skin here and there because of acne, but I've noticed that as more of my peers have begun to stop and their faces clear, I keep picking. It went from the just some little white heads or black heads to every little bump or mark I could see/feel on my body. I've tried stopping ever since I realized the harm it could do to my skin but I can't find myself to stop. My mom has bought every product there is and yelled at me more times than I could count but it hasn't affected me as much as it probably should've. The most it has done was make me stop for a month or so. I would like to stop. I want to stop. But I can't.
Because of this i get really insecure about everything. I can't wear a short sleeve shirt without a jacket. I can't wear shorts because of the scabs on my legs. I can't get myself to look people in the eye out of fear that they notice the marks on my body and/or guilt because I know they will notice and think differently about it. If anyone has any advice or just anything at all, I would deeply appreciate it. Thank you.
Btw sorry for the long text
Hey, I know not everyone is able to follow this kind of advice, but I'd say just don't care what others think. I'm also a high school student that started picking at a very young age and I understand the stress parents can put onto you. I used to get comments about my skin from kids who all probably thought I was self harming myself or being abused and I would always say "my pets did it" or "I fell off my bike"; it definitely didn't get better when we had to start changing in locker rooms. I was an insecure mess, and home was just as bad as school, so that's when you know that something's got to change. Instead of backing myself into a corner I tried changing my outlook on things and progressively became more comfortable with my body. I'd figure that I didn't like looking at my body either, so why should I have to hide it from any of these jerks?! This is a part of me and they don't have to pay any mind to it if their just gonna say something judgmental or flat out stupid! I used my acceptance of the disorder as being a part of me that I have to fight and the anger i felt from the ignorance of people around me as fuel to get better. I still pick today, but now I walk the halls with tank tops and shorts all I want without even having a fleeting thought if people are staring at my polkadot arms or jagged legs or crater face; it's become the norm for all who know me, which is sad but it's a step up. And with a great amount of courage and pacing back and forth in my room contemplating whether I should really go through with it, I finally asked my parents for counseling. Family has a big impact on you psychologically, so it's important that they understand that your condition has an official name and that it needs treatement, not belittlement and shaming. For me the scars I make are a symbol of my fighting and struggle everyday to overcome the disorder, but if that's not your thing (which is understandable I admit that I'm crazy) there are creams to help scarring fade, which gets you in the habit of fixing your body and makes you hesitant about destroying it since it needs to be applied everyday. I'v also got into the habit of washing my face at night anytime I get the urge to touch my face, that way you're not picking and your face is getting clean which helps with the acne. Now I'm sorry for making such a long response; just be comfortable with all of your bodies flaws and work to take care of it since it's the only one you get. It's really hard and sometimes you'll loose all motivation but I believe you can overcome it because you've taken the step to reach out for help on a sight like this! Good luck ~ <3 ~
Would you or your parents ever consider therapy even if it's just the online one?
Try bandaids on fingertips to make it harder or make u aware more. Try calamine as a calming treatment. Good luck