Team UK - Kick the Pick!

[Froglet]

Hey all, this a support group started by Krib, Soulauctioneer, Playinwitfire, and Froglet (Me! )
We are all from the UK, and together we are going to stop picking. (Or at least give it our best damn shot! )
If anyone else wants to join, please feel free!
I hope you can find some support here with us!
Lara. ;D

[Wee One]

hey all,

I'm gonna quit with you guys! go team uk! (god - i'm so sad!)

well i think coz we stopped paying our bills, our internet has been stopped so i no longer have internet at my flat, which is really annoying! so many massages have been posted since i last checked!

I really want to kick this habbit too. I'm going to South Africa this summer to teach and it's gonna be really hot and i would just love it if i didn't have to wear make up. also there's a swimming pool where we're staying and so i have to stop picking my body so i can actually wear my bikini! also i'm in a long distance relationship so i only see my boyfriend every month or so (he lives in london). After my exams i'm gonna see him lots and i would love it if i was pick free and i'm sure he would love it too! i'm thinking of it as a kind of present for him!

also, after exams i'm gonna be celebrating. this will involve lots of short skirts and i would love it if i didn't have to wear thick black tights! especially as it's getting hotter! (i don't go around in short skirts or anything but on nights out with the girls we all like to dress up a bit!).

so, i think i have enough reasons to kick this csp thing! plus i'm coming off anti depressants and so getting thinner and i'm feeling positive!

but..... do i have to stop today? no, wait when i quit smoking i gave a quit date and then felt prepared for it, so i think i'm gonna give a quit date for this. but i'm seeing my boyfriend next week - damnit! i'm gonna have to stop tomorrow! ok, so today is the last day i'm allowed to pick till at least the start of next term (i get scared by long commitments!)

right, well when i quit smoking, everytime i wanted a cigarette i thought of all the bad things and thought that smoking isn't gonna help me and that it will just make me want another cigarette due to withdrawals. I just didn't have one instead of having one and then forgot about it soon after.

So, relating that to picking, everytime i want to pick i'm going to think that realistically it's going to make my face worse, and that it's not worth it, plus if i pick, it's just gonna leave a mark that i'm gonna pick at and if i pick it's going to end up with me picking at my whole face. So i just don't pick instead of picking and do something else and hopefully the urge will subside. If i get a spot that i have to pop then i am going to constantly tell myself "just this one, just this one..." and stop myself getting into the trance of picking. Also everyday i'm going to look at my face and look at how clear my skin is getting so i remain positive, but if a negative thought crosses my mind i'm going to turn and walk away.

Does this help anyone else? I hope so,

Do you guys have any tips?

Em x

[pookadot]

I would like to join Ive been pick free for 2 days now but thats because i had a major picking session 3 days ago but i really want to stop this now ive really had enough of picking it's becoming really annoying to me and i just get tired of keep having to treat the wounds every time i pick loads because it wastes my time and makes me pick more because i am still looking in the mirror. Ive also haven't picked my arms either in those 2 days and i just want to get rid of this it's ruining mylife. It would be great if we could all do this together and give each other surpport. Count me in

[Froglet]

Welcome to the group!
Hopefully if we will feel stronger to fight this thing if we have each others support.
Introductions... you don't need to if you want to remain anon, but heres mine anyway.
My name's Lara Im studying my final year at art school in edinburgh. Ive been picking for about 9 years now, maybe more. My incentive to stop is my graduation, a beach holiday with my friends, and goddamit - I want to wear all the pretty tops!
Ive managed to cut my picking right down this last year, ever since I came across csp websites on the net. like everyone else, I thought I was alone in this. Once I realised that, i got some therapy, told everyone close to me and feel a little more 'incontrol'. The best part was that much of the feeling of guilt and shame was lifted. However its not enough. I don't want to spend hours every morning getting ready, and wasting my time picking away. I don't want to feel ashamed of my skin with my boyfriend either.
Apart from picking, my other obsession is with my pet froggies...
Anyway, I hope you all find this group useful in some way. It sure beats doing it alone!
Best wishes,
Lara ;D

[running2stndstill]

Way to go guys- it is so inspiring to have other people working on the same thing. I look forward to reading your posts.
Best wishes,
-K

[playinwitfire]

Heyy every1 howsit going? I''m on day 3 and (sorry i know this is bad influence!!) I've picked for 2 of them...cus my chart is for face so I was like uh well that means I can pick my arms, back..neck pushing it. So I'm gona let my face heal first maybe then stop picking everywhere else say in week 2 when I'm feeling steady.

I saw a girl at the bus stop today with what looked like the remnants of a picking sesh on her face (i wasn't staring but i could tell by the marks plus she was slyly picking there and then)..it just made me stop and think how lucky we are to have found eachother for support when you think there are still ppl out there who feel lost..i wish i could have said something but you can't really.

Welcome on board Wee Once, Pookadot and running2stndstill. anyone got any ass-kicking strategies they'd like to donate?

Here's some of mine:

get moratiriums 2 headed chart..doens't work for every one but it's a real morale booster when you watch your progress and realise its actually real and happening.

When having a wash in the morning and at night I light a candle instead of putting the light on...for two reasons: You see yourself in a softer more flattering light..you can't see well enough to pick...it's a more pleasant light first thing in the morning and last thing at night.

Invest in a tinted moisturiser..cuts down on time in front of the mirror. Can apply anywhere as a moisturiser and cover up. Means you don't wear foundation so its a kind of compromise where you know you're not completely fake skinned and takes away some of that make-up safety net that can make it easier to pick. get me? I did this as my confidence started to return. if any1 would like suggestions just ask.

Wear neosporin plasters overnight to speed up the healing process. You can get them off ebay.

Do a facial sauna 2-3 times a week and exfoliate mildly every few days or more vigurously once a week. The smoother and purer your skin the more your reason to pick should diminish.

These are strategies for dealing with it and I hope you all find them useful in some way as I have.

Love y'all xxjessxx

[playinwitfire]

Ooh forgot to do me lil intro...

ook I'm 17 and studying psych, english lang, performance studies and german at a 6th form college, Hampshire.

I've been picking since..well i dunnp really cus apparently i scratched my face as a babe! but I've been aware of it like actual picking since i was about 13 so like 5 years..

I tried going to a psych who seemed pretty..well baffled and seemed happy just to send me away with some anti-d's which I didn't accept. I think he must have just been really shit cus psychs should have recognised it as OCD. I recognised it myself as a disorder 2 years ago which is when I joined this board.

At the mo I'm looking into some free over the phone therapy I discovered on:

[ftp]www.ocdcentre.com[/ftp]

Yeah soo thatz mee!

Bai xxxx

[Froglet]

Hey all, Hope everyones doin good, just about to hit he sack. Picked a little today, but not badly, just a wee scratch here n' there, so I only gave myself half a star on my star chart.
Might try some of your tips, Jess. Im bad for picking in the morn, so maybe I'll light a candle in my bathroom instead of turning that pick friendly light on! At night, I usually take my make up off with cleansing wipes in the dark, so's I don't have to look at all the lovely pickables. Must check out those plasters too!
Anyways Im sleepy,
Bye for now,
Lara ;D

[Pookadot not signed in]

Ok heres a little intro on me...

Im 17 years old been picking since about 13 years old about the start of highschool. Started of as normal picking of spots but has gotton much much worser as time went on. Ive been housebound since August of last year because i can't cover up the wounds i make and i think people will notice my face even if i put loads of makeup on. Getting help at the moment once a week a lady comes round who has knowledge of cognitive therapy and gets me to do charts and things of my skin picking and such which helps me to have a look at the viscious cycle that goes on. The danger zones are the morning and night for me but mainly night. I could be ok through the day thinking im not going to pick today then if i get ready for bed and look i nthe mirror i usally end up picking. But i never get the urge to pick my face not unless i look in the mirror and see a spot then i get the urge to squeeze it. My arms are usally what i pick during the day if they are on show and im bored. I had one little pick today on my face and a few on my arm but ive been doing ok for the last 3-4 days but i made a right mess of it last friday so my wounds are all scabbed up at the moment and im just going to try and let them fall of naturally because usally i end up picking them of when i think they are ready to come of but they are not.
Anyway just see how this week goes i guess.

Don't know if this is good advice but heres a few tips im trying to do...

1.Try to stay away from the danger zones which are the times you are mor likely to pick as much as possible.

2.Say what is easier to cover up a little spot or a big wound which you will cause if you pick it.

3.If you get any negative thoughts pass through your mind when looking in the mirror step away and come back in 5-10 mins to give you time to think straight.

4.If you get a urge to pick try and shut your eyes for a few mins and relax and think of a time when you picked your face really bad and how bad you felt and tell yourself you don't want to keep feeling that way.

5.Doing a chart and keeping records of your picking and how much you pick and avoided picking that day and how your emotion changed once you picked and your emotion before you picked is a good way in seeing how it circluates in the viscious cycle.

Don't know if any of that helps but they are just a few things im trying to test out.

[halo]

Thanks for your tips pookadot, stepping back to look at things objectively really helps..sometimes when i start getting closer to the mirror I look myself in the eyes and think that inside i reaaally DONT want to do this and that the little voice is trying to tell me that but I just need to listen to it. That voice gets stronger the more you listen to it (I was listening to the voice within by xtina wen those pondering thoughts came to me)
I'm on day four and am beginning to get back on track.

Tonight I want everyone to go straight to bed without picking its such a goooord feeling! If you can actually stand in front of the mirror, do something silly/laugh at yourself and walk away makes you feel pretty cool, sounz weird but it works someone recommended it to me.

my neosporin plasters should be arriving soon I'll tell you guyz what I think but it takes about a month before they really start working. You know how you get brown pigmentaiton, well I was wondering if anyone gets lighter patches aswell? like whitish discolouring i hope that goes away too but hopefully the sun will take care of that!

I'm gona go do some happy skin shopping on ebay! does anyone do that? (mmmm aiz creeeeam) um like look at all the goodies in vogue n then buy it on ebay for like 10th of the price or sumit stupid like that! heehe.

Love y'all keep us updated on how you're all doing.

xxbaixx

[playinwitfire not signed in]

:DTHAT WAS ME PLAYINWITFIRE BY THE WAY TEAMUK ROCK!

[Froglet]

Hey everyone, hope you are all doing well. I picked quite a bit thi morning coz I was alone in the flat. Ended up being late for who I was meeting! Never mind though, its that time of the month, and my skin flaired up, so hopefully in a few days all will be normal again. Been having a lovely summery day at the beach. (Crammond Beach for all you edinburgh folks) Its really made me feel like stopping, realising the nice weathers coming and I want to wear pretty tops and less make up!
Pookadot, what I do to try and combat the evening picking, is wait until Im in bed with the lights out to remove my make up. Then I get a face wipe and take it all of, and use astringent etc. What I don't see I don't pick. Keep up the good work though, sound like your making progress!
Anyways, this is just a quick one from me, gotta go out its my boyfriends birthday, so Im off to the pub!
Have a nice evening all!
Lx

[Pookadot not signed in again]

Ahh i just went a picked a scab of and a couple of little ones grrrr not to bad though so im stil trying to stay positive just have to do better tomorrow.
Take care all

[Krib]

Ello All!
Good to hear how people are getting along, thanks for setting up our UK team Froglet ;D

Well I was pretty much pick-free for a few days, but had a major relapse on Tuesday morning I know it's because I was totally sleep deprived, I felt knackered and miserable and soon found myself in that familiar trance we all know so well. I was at it for hours with this horrible apathetic "I don't care if it looks bad" wave over me. What crap will power!

No-one else was in the house, so as Froglet said, I guess being on your own for hours with no "what the hell are you doing in there?" screams doesn't help!

Worst thing is my skin wasn't too bad before, but the picking made it flare up and get even more infected...it's quite painful.

But after a decent night's sleep I avoided the same thing this morning, only a few quick picks, and I'm gonna go straight to bed now, really not going to pick! I'm hoping the infected areas will clear up pronto, it doesn't look awful, just feels all lumpy and painful.

So next time I'm tired I've seriously got to avoid mirrors Do you all have skin where literally every pore has crap in it? During my shitty mood on Tuesday I looked all over my face and every square centimetre of my skin seemed to have gunked pores and lumps "out! out! argh!"

Guess we just blow things out of proportion.

Okay well I'm feeling more positive now, the key is sleep and relaxation as much as possible- don't go near a mirror when you're tired, ok?!

Good luck my dearys,
Kx

[Froglet]

Yeah, feels like Im a walking puss factory! I guess some off it is my bodies natural moisturisers or something. My chest is the worst. I methodically work along all the pores squeezing! They are just pores until I get to them. When will I learn?
I feel like I have zero will power, cant seem to stick to a diet either. But right now I only have two weeks to my final deadline... a culmanation of 4 years work... Aaaaaaaaaaaargh! I cant believe Im leaving uni soon for the big scary world! Mooo!
Anyway, as you would imagine, Im a little stressed, so its difficult to stick to the no picking. As soon as the works out of the way though, I have to stop finding excuses and just do it!
At the mo my skins quite crappy, nothing some good make up wont hide, but it looks pretty bumpy. Very difficult to resist re picking the scabs...
Hope everyone is good today! Im off to do some work. Keep smiling! ;D