Are drugs the only answer ???

[scarreddaisy]

It seems like from what is posted that there is really no other remedy for fixing this problem besides medication... There is no way i could go to a doctor.. one I hate them...Two, my family couldnt afford it.. SO it there anythign that I can do to fix this? I mean... this has been a problem for 8 years now... but there must be somethign I can do .. exercise helps but I can only work out so much before I look liek i have a steroid probblem!! hehe. So, any ideas? I will love you forever if you have some!

[melhad]

I have been scratching...I always called it that instead of picking...my arms, legs, and shoulders since at least 1984 and my arms show it. But I guess if I did it to my face I called it picking.

I'm not one for internal medicines either. But I have tried Minocycline and Doxycline internally. I felt the Doxycline worked but the cost added up. I got hives from the Minocycline. I will, and have, tried topical lotions/creams/etc.

1) PersAGel - A friend introduced me to Clean & Clear's Persagel/Pers-A-Gel? It's got 10% Benzoyl Peroxide in it. It costs about 4.75$ at a Walgreens. I used it morning and night for a bit. Make sure you rub it in so the white residue goes away. Then less often. Now my face is like anyone elses in that I occasionally get blemishes but I use PersAGel right away. It's great on bug bites too. Sometimes I use it before it's necessary. And sometimes I use it in when I can't wash my face. I like the smooth, tight feeling. My face has been a non-issue for about 5 years.

2) Salicylic Acid - But it's a rather expensive to be spreading over your entire body. I've looked at and tried some of the Walgreen's products to use in the shower that have Salicylic(?) acid in them. Not sure if that makes a difference but I'll buy it again.

3) Clean & Clear Wash-something or other - Then I found another soap-washing type of product. I think it's also by Clean & Clear. It's shaped like a big toothpaste tube. It's got a purple lid and the tube is white with Clean & Clear's packaging colors used on it. It also has 10% Benzoyl Peroxide, thus the reason I bought it. But I don't use it in the shower as it indicates. I step out of the shower, put a squirt in one hand and rinse my other hand in water, then rub the two together and rub it into my skin. It smells like Noxzema which you may not know about if you're younger. I wait until the 'tacky' feeling goes away before getting dressed.

4) Dry it out - I've also found that I tend not to scratch when my skin feel's 'dried out'. I'm not suggesting not drinking water, tho. After recently going to Florida, or having been outside in my yard in summer most of the day where I feel comfortable baring my skin I feel better. I also feel better after having been to a tanning salon. But the cost can add up.

5) Rubber-band - I found a suggestion on this site about using a rubber-band on my wrist. After I scratched at something I snap the band on my wrist. It's amazing how just after a few times of snapping...now when I reach to scratch the slight pain of the band pops into my head. Usually it prevents me from scratching. I may finish with the one sore but then I sit on my hands and don't continue. I remember several years ago how sitting on my hands broke my nail-biting habit. But I do chew my hang-nails.

6) Here's a long one...the power of wanting something so badly...bear with me - I went searching for an author after seeing an episode on Hair Pulling on 20/20 - something I don't do. The author is Fred Penzel. He'd written a book in 2000 called Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders. I got it from the library and am working through it. I stumbled on a phrase that people with Body Dismorphic Disorder (something different than picking it seems) often never marry or avoid relationships. That stuck in my head. I'd read another book called If I'm So Wonderful Why Am I Still Single. That author said your subconscious desires are stronger than your conscious desires. So you can go to the clubs and such saying you want to meet the opposite sex, but then do all kinds of things to prevent it from happening. The author said that the things required of a relationship - trust, risk-taking, openness - could be subconsciously things you want to avoid. Such as wanting to hide something like skin-picking that would eventually be exposed if you had a relationship. That comment really shook me because a relationship and eventual marriage and family is what a want very much. Until that comment I'd thought the only price I was paying for scratching was not being able to wear sleeveless summer dresses, clubbing outfits, or going swimming without a t-shirt. But now I wonder if the price has been much higher. I only discovered this correlation in the past week.

7) Breathing - While I haven't read the specifics on treatments for scratching Penzel's OCD book frequently talks about breathing and relaxation excercises. He says there seems to be a feeling of tension right before scratching and then relief while doing it. So I've been doing the deep breaths as well and I swear it helps.

So far the rubber-band, the breathing, the exercise tapes from the library, and the belief that scratching has prevented me from obtaining something I really, really want - these things seem to have been motivating enough to slow my scratching issues over the last week. Just one week - but it's a good start!

Hope this helps!
Melissa

[scarreddaisy]

Thanks you so much for your ideas!! I was so afraid that no one was going to respond.. I didnt think of breathing exercises and the rubber band idea sounds like a good idea too. I've really been trying to be good about my picking since my senior prom is coming up. Hopefully this will help me "behave" myself and leave my back alone so that it can help properly. It is also comforting to know that this can be fixed without oral meds.

This was a revelation to me as well.. I so badly want to be in a relationship and evenutally married and I realized that I'm preventing my own happiness. Thank you so much for your tremendous response Its people like you that help me through this and I appreciate it whoreheartedly