I have stopped picking

let it be...………….it has been a while since we last talked on line. I am so glad that you are doing well. I too am doing well and am on my way to stop the picking. I started using the Paula's Choice skin care products and it has done wonders for me. I do get a bump here and there but nothing like before. I feel that I don't have to obsess over my face any more. I am learning to deal with my anxiety issues without taking it out on my face. I know that the strength that I have is not from my own will but from God.

Anxious for nothing...God is so good! I am so happy to hear that! I believe when I was able to face my anxiety issue and let Him in to take the place of obsessions the healed skin was just like an added bonus! It’s freedom that now doesn’t even depend on clear skin and I have confidence in a trajectory forward because of who He is so there’s no need to be afraid of messing up. Still waiting to see if there was a bigger purpose in this struggle I am to use for Him. I used to get so anxious and obsessive over getting home and getting ready for bed that I would pick like I was walking a tight rope. I love that I can enjoy that part of the day and also know that it doesn’t control me!

let it be.....I used to feel the same way about the routine of face care. I would hate it every time I had to think about going into the bathroom to wash my face morning and at night because I knew the urge to pick was so strong. Now I feel less anxious and can actually spend like 10 minutes tops in the bathroom. You mentioned a purpose in this struggle that we share. I went to see my doctor a few weeks back and he gave me a name of a patient of his who wants to try to start an OCD support group. He asked me if I was still interested in starting one. I contacted her and we are meeting tomorrow to see what is out there for us. I think God is using this struggle and now the healing that I may help someone else. I feel really hopeful about it. I still face some anxiety but I feel now I can open up and talk instead of holding it in and destroying myself. Todays message in church was about letting go of the things that hurt us and letting God unleash something new in the coming new year. That we are no longer bound to the old ways and to look forward to the new things that He wants to show us. It was such a powerful message.

And how long has it been since you stopped picking???

I think you should take a day at a time.....making the decisions yours instead of what you think are God's might be a good start regarding responsible behaviour.

Lol, snipzie....thats harsh.

No, being realistic can be harsh to face what's real rather than what's delusional.

What if someone's delusion helps them to overcome a bad habit? Reality is what we make of it. No one perceived concept of reality is the "real" one. We all look at things through our own lens, our own filtered interpretation.

Yes...all about perception. Whatever works...

serene.... I have been pick free for a least a couple of months now. I changed my skin care routine and have not had many problems. I started using the product line called Paula's Choice regular strength clearing products and has cleared my face tremendously. I was a little skeptical at first but now I will not use anything else. No bumps equals no picking. I know that some people say that it is your will that you have stopped the picking but I know that I could not have done it on my own. I have been picking for most of my adult life and to say that now I feel that I have overcome this is truly a blessing from God.

Have there been any other changes in your life recently? I remember I stopped biting my nails after moving to the other side of the country. It was that drastic change which I think altered my brain chemistry and made it possible for me to stop completely. The skin picking is a more complex issue for me. I seriously doubt that I'll be able to break it because there are too many things tied into it. I will often go looking for things to pick, even invisible pores...so I know that no matter how well I maintain my skin, the picking will prevail. In the past I have done drastic cosmetic procedures which made my skin flawless...and yet I would still pick...even if it was less than when I didn't take care of my skin. The disorder was always there....sometimes minimized because as you say...there were less bumps. But for some reason I was never able to fully condition my brain to stop obsessing and reacting. It was a temporary, band aid approach, not a cure. What I am subconsciously seeking is the emotional release of purging impurities out of my skin. That behavior releases a chemical reaction which is addictive, and it's that sort of natural high that I am after. I notice I am particularly drawn to picking when I am sad or distressed. Faith does help some people, but my PTSD makes it impossible to break free from the negative patterns. It has become a physiological pattern instead of only psychological. But it is nice to know that some are able to break free from the behavioral patterns of this strange disorder. It is a very interesting subject as to why some can overcome it and others end up struggling for the rest of their lives.

There have been some changes in my life recently but not of the good kind. My marriage is suffering right now. You think I would pick because of the stress that this brings but I can honestly say that I have not picked. I think this is due to the fact that this Paula's Choice product line has helped minimize the bumps. No bumps means no picking. I was skeptical at first to think that this would help because I have tried everything. Now I will not use anything else. Also I learned not to hold everything inside. I would hold the stress, the anxiety, and all the problems inside of me and this led me take it out on my face. We are seeing a marriage counselor and this has helped me to open up and the let out all the feelings inside me out. When we are not at the counselor I will call my mom or my sister and tell them what I am feeling. I think that all of this combined has helped me to condition my brain not to hurt myself anymore.

Snipzie, I have been pick free for months. How many I am not sure because I realized all the sudden the problem has been gone for awhile. It still is. My faith actually holds me very responsible for my behavior. I believe everything I do I am held responsible for. My faith even holds me responsible for my thoughts because thoughts fuel actions. To give credit to God is not to take away my responsibility for my actions. I’m not sure you understand it which is okay. I also know that there are lots of people who have different views of what it is to believe in God and I am sorry if someone who possibly had it wrong left a strong impression on you. I don’t think anyone at least on this particular thread was forcing their faith on you so I guess I am taken aback by your strong reaction. I am also not sure why you would doubt someone’s healing especially if you have not found it yourself. Typically this site is full of encouraging each other’s progress and what works for each person, so your doubt and negativity of my good news stands out on this site as something I haven’t seen before. I haven’t been on here for a bit and was just thinking tonight about the freedom I still feel in this and it made me want to check into the site. I don’t suggest anyone try to use this “God thing” as a tool to stop picking. That’s not how it works anyways. I just posted this because I have struggled with picking for more years than I even care to count right now and I have stopped for the first time really stopped. And that original post is my truth of exactly how my story with this played out. My honesty is the best thing I can offer to others still struggling. If I had left out the role my faith played I wouldn’t be being honest. I wish you the same freedom from picking I have found. Serene, you as well!! Thank you for your responses.

It would have helped much more for you to expand considering it doesn't read as such. The rest I won't comment about, because it's equally as arrogant as my first comment. Be well...

It would have helped much more for you to expand considering it doesn't read as such. The rest I won't comment about, because it's equally as arrogant as my first comment. Be well...

Faith can be a strong component towards change. Strong belief can alter patterns of thought, which can change overall reactions. I don't doubt it. The challenge is building that type of strong faith in the first place. I think many individuals are just beat down by what life has thrown at them. I applaud those who can look beyond the setbacks and evoke a sense of hope in a power beyond themselves. It was easier for me to do so when I was much younger. My husband is still strongly in tune with his belief. It seems to be his coping system and brings him peace of mind. I like how you mentioned that one day you realized that the issue was gone. It's the exact same way I felt when I realized that my chronic nail biting habit was finally over. One day I looked down and saw that my nails were long and the cuticle healthy. It was such a natural transition that it wasn't obvious as it occurred. I had to have that sort of moment to let it sink it.

Hi, 1st post on here. Acne sufferer for 20 years but nowhere near as bad as before due to a healthy lifestyle of eating well and exercise. Last year my marriage broke down and my business was struggling. I think this combination led to my picking getting worse. I'm seeking some counselling and it's improving all the time. I tend to pick at my blackheads and clogged pores making my skin worse which is so frustrating. But things are picking up with my work and I find running really helps my mental state. I'm able to run by the sea and taking it the vast ocean makes my problems seem small. I'm not looking to completely stop picking as time to time I'll get a spot which needs attention but the aim is to keep it in moderation and not hate myself for it. It's the only thing in my life which gets me down. Keep sharing everyone and I'm sure we can all improve our habits and have healthier skin.

Hi SimonL, keep it up!! Sounds like you’ve already come a long way. When I was picking I at one point realized that it was a method of distracting myself from other anxieties and sadness or worries. Pretty much anything negative faded away because I would obsess over my skin. My goal in life was perfect skin as sad as that sounds. Because that goal felt maybe more attainable than facing other things I was worried about. That goal fueled the picking. The picking gave me something to heal and obsess over seeing improvement. Honestly it was a high every time my face healed but that high would wear off before I could even pick again. I think that’s why I would pick again...to restart the cycle. The whole ordeal over and over buffered my brain from dealing with generalized anxiety about life. If I picked before bed I was so upset but somehow comforted by the familiarity of the problem and the reality that I could “fix” it unlike some many other things in life. Of course any bout of breakouts would fuel the fire because I all the sudden had more to pick at then I “needed” just to curb my anxiety. It was within the past year that I started to realize any of this. And that part of me was addicted to the healing process and soothing my anxiety by focusing on breaking and then healing my skin. One thing that I realized recently that helped me was to stop labeling a simple popping of a pimple as failure. Now I think “okay just pop it clean it and walk away...you’re not controlled by this anymore and you don’t have to live like you are”. Something about not calling one touch to the face a failure helped so much because once you feel like you’ve messed up it’s easy to just give up and pick at everything and anything. My goal isn’t perfect skin and it isn’t even never popping a spot. My goal is not picking. Which to me is not looking for something to break just so I can heal it just so I can obsess over it just so I can not have to worry about anything else for a few days. My skin is not the same as it has healed so much in the past few months. And looks like it hasn’t in years. I don’t think I about picking at all. The mirror doesn’t effect me the same way anymore. It’s so freeing and it is possible! Don’t lose hope!

Thanks. Yes that ambition of trying to achieve "Perfect Skin" is something I got fixated with. The silly thing is if I got back 10 - 15 years when my skin was at it's worse I would have been delighted with my skin right now. Yet here I am still trying to make it better. Acceptance is key. Also the fact that no-one really cares. There is far more to us than our skin. Our personalities are far more important and that's how people judge us. Most people have some skin problems to a degree from time to time we just ignore that as again "we are not interested" and need to appreciate that's how others see us.

Like you now I've had some help I don't get too hard on myself if I pick a pimple or blackhead. Just move on and live the day to the max. Life is too short to obsess. Feel like I'm on the right path finally, just need to stick to it and love myself for who I am. Thanks for the reply.