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Post by starrdust007 on Jul 13, 2005 4:15:45 GMT -5
I thought I was the ONLY one! My parents and friends think I'm nuts. I had this HUGE skin tag removed yesterday and I actually miss it...because i couldn't stop picking it! I do a lot of things obsessively like eat, etc. I also have anxiety problems, but since I was young I've ALWAYS picked at my face non-stop and my scalp (i have bad dandruff) but one of the things I do is what I pick off...I eat (I know it's totally gross..im completely embarassed to say it) but I do...I pick off pieces of my skin and eat them! Does anyone else do that?
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jules
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Post by jules on Jul 14, 2005 0:40:32 GMT -5
Welcome to the board, Starrdust!
For the longest time I also thought I was the only one... It seems like several people here do other things obsessively too, besides picking. I also eat, diet, exercise obsessively (it is all a vicious cycle for me). I do eat the scabs sometimes and the stuff inside the pore that I squeeze out (the ones that I am "most proud of"). Doesn't it sound just gross?
Jules
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Post by starrdust007 on Jul 14, 2005 19:52:26 GMT -5
Wow, I never knew this was an actual disorder or whatever it's called. My parents and friends think I'm insane; they are always telling me that I am disgusting. My father acts like I could stop if I "really wanted to." Nobody understands that it's not explainable, i don't know why I do it. I'm not a stupid person, you know, I am an English major at Queens College, I have a logical portion of by brain telling me that it's abnormal and "weird" but it's just "something i HAVE to do." I'm so glad there are other people like me.
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jules
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Post by jules on Jul 14, 2005 20:20:15 GMT -5
Yeah, the disorder is called CSP (compulsive skin picking). Don't listen to anybody calling you disgusting. There are also people in my life who don't understand this disorder or why I can't just stop. We have to just tune them out and live with the fact that some other people find it hard/impossible to understand. Of course, you are not stupid. People with CSP are not picking out of stupidity. In fact, somebody on the boards have mentioned that a lot of people on this forum (and with some other forms of mental illness) have higher than average intelligence. I, too, can see that it might be true.
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Post by abc on Jul 15, 2005 1:37:51 GMT -5
wondering if many people find that they have a variety of compulsive disorders? for me, i am a compulsive binge eater, exerciser, and skin picker, and i;m sure these are related. will treating one help treat the others?
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Post by starrdust007 on Jul 15, 2005 2:55:06 GMT -5
I also believe I am of above average intelligence, at least I've always been a good student. I'm an English major & desire to be a writer/poet/teacher one day in the future. I'm 23 & have been compulsive all my life, I eat compulsively & I also have a lot of anxiety problems. Some that I've had since birth. It's nice to see that other people have these problems as well.
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jules
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Post by jules on Jul 16, 2005 1:09:44 GMT -5
I definitely have Obsessive compulsive disorder which encompasses a lot of obsessions for me. It must overlap with my picking, dieting, eating, exercising, etc. I find that I "NEED" to have an obsession in my life. For example, right now I am on an obsessive exercise routine (the exercising routine in itself is not obsessive, it is just everyday and I cling to that). That helps me with the picking. Then at other times I would be all about my skin/picking and not have another strong obsession. Later I could be on a dieting obsession... You get the point.
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Post by starrdust007 on Jul 16, 2005 13:43:54 GMT -5
I have a similar habit. My habits are often orally fixated. When I was five I started obsessively biting my nails, & I have been ever since. I used to knot my hair, bite the skin on my fingers & lip, then when I hit puberty I started getting very flaky dry skin on my face and scalp so I started compulsively picking it and eating the pieces I pick off--so gross, I know. For me, I've come to feel that it's all about anxiety and panic--loss of control, per se. It's like I feel like I'm falling and "picking" gives me something to hold on to. With each rip of my skin (especially the bigger pieces that are harder to rip off) I get a surge of happiness, like just for that second, I've grounded myself.
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