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Admitting I Need Help
Wow I just found this site tonight and honestly I thought I was the only person on the planet that has this problem, I'm so happy that I'm not the only one!!
I'm 17 and I've been picking the skin on my fingers, soles of my feet and my scabs and eating them since as long as I can remember. When I was younger this didn't really bother me as much because I didn't really care about how I looked. But now, as a senior in high school my finger biting has escalated because of all the stress i'm under applying to college and with schoolwork and i'm really afraid that if I don't nip this in the bud i'll never get this under control. At this point I can't even bend my fingers because it's painful due to all the picking and my fingers are seriously disfigured. I've tried to stop on my own but it never lasts more than a day or two so I'm really considering getting professional help. I want to talk about this with my parents but i'm afraid they won't understand. Does anyone have any advice? Thanks!!!
January 05, 2010
OMG - I have had this thing since I can remember. I am a 49 year old female. One of my earliest memories is of being a small child (maybe 3 yrs old) and my parents would tie my hands up with soft hankies and pin them out when they put me to bed. So I was sortof strapped to sleep with my hands tied away from me. Since the memory is so old it doesn't upset me, it's just part of my life. So who knows when or why I started pickin?! I do have many uncountable childhood memories of locking myself in the bathroom to pick my sores. I would pick them, clean them, salve them and bandage them. I LOVED IT. All the "stop picking yourself" and "leave it alone" comments didn't compute. I developed scars, but I didn't mind because I was young and each year the last year's scars would fade off sortof. I still don't mind my scars.
Over the course of my life I can see the years of picking vs. the years of less picking. The years of less picking were times I was not lonely and especially in a relationship. It seems that being alone is one of my triggers. When I'm in a love relationship, pretty much I have to get naked and that means I don't want anyone to feel any scabs. However I've been single for the last couple of years and I've started a picking frenzy on my thighs. They were once beautiful - people called me "legs" and yes I know I'm getting older so there's an inappropriateness to me wearing super short shorts. Maybe this lets me pick there. I have horrible red and purple scars that aren't fading! My thighs are HIDEOUS. I don't know what to do. I thought I was alwasy just a freak, and then I found this site about a month ago. I realize OMG I'm so not alone.
January 06, 2010
kcantwell I understand your problem. I was a picker for many years. Please read my input "Possible cure -revision" posted earlier. Then e-mail me at kenn100@yahoo.com. This mental exercise has worked for many who tried it. But it is not easy. The beauty part is that it costs nothing but a little time, and results should be apparent within a week. I will answer any question you may have and encourage you to continue once you have started.
February 14, 2011
I totally understand, I'm 16 years old and i cant remember when i even started. Its really put a strain me for doing things and most importantly from being myself around others. i remember when i had a boyfriend it really made me feel uncomfortable around him at times especially when he tried to hold my hand, i always had my guard up. I would really appreciate it if somone could give me some advice far as what to do... PLEASE I NEED YOUR HELP!