Team UK - Kick the Pick!

[playinwitfire]

Hi my lovlies, I too had zeeeero will power last night but today is my day of redemption i hope. My chart is looking pretty random but hopefully I'tll be looking better from now.

krib I know what you mean about just not caring and letting the wave take you over..

Everyone do lots of facial saunsas to clear those pores pronto! Even better go down your local sauna.

xxxjessxxx

[Supervixen]

Hey everyone, is it ok if I join in?? I've been trying to do moratorium's 21 day chart on and off for several weeks but with little success.
About me: I'm Alice, 21, from Lincs. I have a two year old son and am pregnant. And am newly single
I've been hardcore picking for around 10 years I think. But it's got really really bad probably in the past 4-5 years.
My hormones are playing havoc with my skin at the moment but I sure dont help matters with all my picking. It's getting me quite depressed now so I really need to try my hardest to quit the picking. I havent picked yet today (big deal in itself!!) so today can be my Day One.
Good luck to you all
Ooo and another thing, previously, most of my picking was concentrated purely on my face. The past couple of weeks, I have also been picking my chest and shoulders. So thats an extra battle to face. And to be honest, I'm even more bothered about the picking on my chest than on my face because I hate wearing high necked tops, they make me look fat(ter than normal!).
AND one last thing, I'll bugger off in a minute I promise, I'm going to try really hard to drink my 6-8 glasses of water each and every day. Because I don't drink enough and I'm sure my skin would thank me for it.
;D Bye!

[pookadot]

Hey all hope everyones going ok.

Had a bad night yesterday went and picked grrr. I kept telling myself i wasn't going to but i always end up picking at night before i go to bed then i was up till 4am in the morning last night picking i started about 11:30pmish so about 4 hours. Gone and picked my arms pretty bad as well which i always do after picking my face badly and the worse thing is my face was already a mess of a huge picking session from a week ago and now ive gone and causes further damage. Anyway sorry for venting a bit just a bit angry at myself at the moment and ive also come of track on my healthy eat plan and excercise i think i will have to start next Monday to give me time to get myself cheered up again.
And also my parents notice ive gone anad picked they don't usally say anything now, not unless i bring the matter up because i know they can notice the damage on my face and my mums like 'your not trying hard enough, your face was healing up and now your gone and spend hours picking at it again' and also says things like im the only one who can stop myself from picking it doesn't matter how many therapists i see. But it really bugs me because i really want to give up and im doing everything possible i can like posting on forums about this and reading information on it and reading the 'habit change book' and also getting help which is the first thing people do when they want to give up right? and then people think im not trying hard enough which they think i don't want to give up because i might go and relapse after my skin is healing up better and im back to square one. I was just wondering if theres many success storys on this board because theres people saying they have been picking for years and that and haven't stopped it and im worried how long this is going to go on for me because i don't see many success storys and then think maybe it's impossible to give up?
Sorry for venting again i just need to get it of my chest.
Anyway hope everyone is staying more positive then me and not picking as much keep it up.

Take care

[soulauctioneer]

hey everyone,

so i've got a question......(and please don't think this is rude) but i was just wondering who actually wants to quit and who just thinks that they should? i'm definitely falling into the latter category which is really kind of annoying! everytime i try to stop picking somewhere i just find somewhere else to do it! the feeling of just not being able to do anything about it is pretty frustrating (i've never been too hot with the will-power thing!). I think i'm going to hire someone to follow me around and give me a little slap everytime i think about it - that ought to sort it out....

by the way, Lara, how weird, I was born and raised in Glasgow too and moved here to study, what are the odds!

oh yeah, and here's a little bit about me: i'm 22 and have just finished a Bmus degree in music technology, i spent a lot of time doing music stuff, obvioulsy, lots of playing and writing and putting on gigs and so on. i've been a picker since i was about 12, i started on my back but moved to my legs when my mum got wise, i've been on meds and in therapy and all that which has helped infinitely with many things but for some reason not the picking. since i'm finally out of education i've decided I need to sort myself out, i don't want to be doing this forever and it seems as good a time as any to quit, plus, i really could use those hours for doing something productive, or sleep... yeah, more likely the sleep....

[Froglet]

Thats so wierd! Surely we have crossed paths at one time or another!
Im sorry Ive been pretty quiet on the forum lately... so busy with my film that Im making - my hand in date is in two weeks so Im pretty much concetrating on that right now. Somehow I still manage to fit some picking time! Im so stressed right now though, Ill let myself off. No excuses when my work is handed in!
Hope everyon is doing well, and hope the edinburgh folks are enjoying the lovely weather! Im stuck infront of a computer, but I get to see others having fun on the meadows outside my flat!

[Froglet]

Moooo,
where is everyone?
Im so stressed with my work and Ive been bad to my skin. I picked my face and chest and now Im all lumpy and red. I was looking at what I did afterwards, and Ive not looked this badd in ages. You know how it is... all big red weeping sores. Its painful too, I think their infected. I actually was looking at my skin the other day and thinking it looked good after a day of no picking. But I think im having a reaction to my new cleanser. Loads of tiny little spots on my cheeks and around my eyes. I just couldn't stand them, I had to dig them out!
Im dissapointed at my sheer lack of willpower! Now I have to go to work tomorrow, in a brightly lit shop. Poo!
Hope everyone else is doin ok....

[Froglet]

Ps,
How rude of me, I never said hello to you Alice! Welcome to the group! I know what you mean about the tops... Ive had that prob for years... its so difficult to get a high necked top thats flattering... all the pretty ones are low or strappy.
U sound like your going through abit of a rough patch just now.
Ive not seen you on the forum a while... not seen many people!... but anyway, hope your doin ok!
Lx

[playinwitfire]

Hey OMIGOSH laik where is every1 get ur butts back on here guyz!!

Froglet well done for keeping the posts up!! I picked my chest too and its all dappled n red n painful. Put some neopsorin on it k?

I haven't picked my face for 5 five days (not including chest) so its healing up now but I'm almost waiting for the next downfall to hit me..the next wave of picking which will go by so fast I won't know what hit me and I'll be in that same spot looking into the mirror, not knowing if i should hate myself or my hands.

Just a thought..each time you wind up picking again you are not going around in circles and you are not ending up back at square one..each time it changes you..strengthens your resolve (or weakens it which will eventually make you realise you need to try again).

In answer to your q soul aucitoner, I think that many of us have lived with this habit so long that we either don't feel ready to kick the habit or we can't really comprehend what life is like on the other side, so I think it's important that although we look to ppl around us to get a sense of what is healthy and normal, one needs to know for themselves that this is what they want and realise that life is easier for them if they live without the habit. You can't fully get rid of it until you want to which i do now, although it did start off with me thinking like omg im different I ought not to do it really.(soz if thats like way confusing!!)

A knock effect for me has been that I have experienced much emotional pain (has any1 else got this) from not picking especially when my bf broke up with me this wkend) but so determined was i not to pick that i lost sight of the fact that mind craves control and I have had signifigant distress when eating for quite a while to mask the pain but I know that this will pass. (i am aware of this and it's not serious!!)

More research needs to be done into CSP cus i think there are a number of reasons why people do it and for me I've felt those reasons vary slightly as I've grown up although I've always had the tendency to pick. Those reaons are for example wanting to have absolutely flawless skin because I had acne as a young teenager and was bullied for it. Wanting to feel like I was treating myself (weird but like clearing out the pores I told myself this was like grooming myself or something) or just simply to relieve stress and anxiety cus there more I did it the more it became conditoned to the anxiety I was feeling it sortof becomes a false friend..something that is always there for you.

I miss my baby!!

Love n hugs every1 xxxjessxxx ;D

[Wee One]

hey there everyone,

i hate not having internet at my flat anymore coz it's been like a week since i've checked this board. Well i've just finished my last exam - YAAAAAYYYY!!!!

so, now i'm free! except as i have no internet at home i'm stuck in the computer lab to seize the opportunity while i can! so i don't really feel free yet!

well, for the past week i've focused my picking just to my knees (which i know sounds a strange place to pick but is strangely satisfying and although it's noticeable i can pass it off easily). This has worked wonders as my face cleared up and so did my chest so i was really happy coz my boyfriend is coming up next tuesday so i thought it would be completely clear by then which would be the first time he'd of seen me like that.

but, i started using a new natural face product which made me come out in bumps and last night i picked them and then i dunno why but maybe coz the seal had broken in a way and so i then started picking my chest and nooooooooooo it's all ruined! i don't even blame myself anymore as i just don't seem to have any control over it, but maybe that's my problem, maybe i should go back to blaming myself?

ok so tell me what u think of this. my skin is quite oily and so i usually use face care products for oily skin. then i come across this herbal face care range and i try a couple of products (ooooh i tried the facial steam like you suggested and it was really good) so i tried the facial steam, a clay mask and a rejuvenating mask that is meant to help with repair. my skin looks amazing and is healing up super quick, i then try the cleanser and toner and both are amazing and my skin is glowing. then they suggest this oil for the face. now i would never usually put oil anywhere near my face. it says that you cure like with like. so when u use products that dry out your face, you produce more oil. so if you put this natural oil on yr face, then yr face starts producing less oil and you get less spots. so i tried it and came out in a whole load of spots that caused me to start picking again and ruin my now beautifully prepared face. so what do i do? do i keep using the oil hoping that it's a delayed effect or do i stop?

wow i just wrote a lot about face care just then! sorry!

i think the key with a relapse is to pretend that it never happened and carry on not picking. i know it sounds obvious, but if you just give in and start picking every day again then you are gonna look even worse, whereas one picking session might cause a lot of damage, but not as much as 3 sessions, etc, so if u stop again, yr body will get better again a lot quicker.... or something like that, u know what i mean right?!

anyway, i need to stop babbling and go and do some serious celebrating!

oh yeah, while i'm confessing stuff.... i started smoking again! after 4 months i know! talk about poor will power! oh yeah and i've been eating healthily for months and then all of a sudden i go and buy a greasy pizza, a cream cake and 5 chocolate eclairs. i was doing so well at everything! anyway, one day of eating like that isn't gonna do too much damage so i'm not really bothered! but seriously!

em x

[Krib]

howdy pholks,
this is gonna have to be a quickie to say congratz to those who haven't picked for a while (days are an achievement! ) and please keep trying to those who have. I've got SO much work to do, I had my "final deadline" today but I've only done 2000 words of the 10,000 I was supposed to hand in, so frankly, I'm fucked, and massively stressed and my face has decided to turn into a dry, peeling flake-fest.

Feeling pretty down.

After next Tuesday, that's when something like ZT can begin, as I'll be free from academia forever! (unless an MA starts to appeal... ). So sorry for the lack of posting, but when I have my life back I'll be back with you guys again!

Good to see you all still trying!
later potatas!
Kx

[Froglet]

Hi People! Nice to hear from some of you again! ;D
Sorry about your break up Jess, I hope you are feeling better. Break ups are poo!
I am having not much in the way of success with not picking. I have to go meet someone in a mo, and my face has lots of weeping sores, the kind tht wont stop!
I think I will try just picking a small area for a while, to sort of wean myself from it. I think I am asking alot from myself, to go cold turkey while things are so stressful at uni. Two weeks till my hand in! Yah! Im very excited about the 'premier' of my degree film though. If anyone in edinburgh is interested, it'll be showing at the filmhouse in june. It'll also be screened during the degree show at eca, so if your passing, pop ur head in the animation room - mine is the one with the siamese cat! ;D
Well, I gotta go. My face is still weeping... how embarrassing!
Speak to ya all soon ladies!
Lx

[Supervixen]

I have done absolutely craply. I managed 24 hours pickfree (face only) and since then I have been picking at least 2-3 times a day. I am starting mora's 21 day chart again so hopefully this time I can at least stick it out for more than a couple of days.
I wish I had loads of money then I could treat myself to a weekly facial. I'm sure that would help encourage me not to pick.

[Froglet]

Happy Birthday Krib! ;D ;D ;D

[Krib]

Aw, thank you so much!! I didn't notice the "birthdays" bit before!! ;D

How ya doing Lara? And everyone else?
I had a bit of a session yesterday (work stress...bad excuse I know) but luckily my face isn't too bad today other than a red bump on my nose....why is it always the nose?! Argh!

Am playing my band's first gig today, ....*nervous* Should be fun though.

Good luck to everyone still trawling through uni / college / school work / life in general!

luv Cxx

[playinwitfire]

Hey every1

I'm in the midst of my exams and it really is pure utter shite. U galz that have finished are sooo lucki man!

Supervixen, I read in 1 of ur posts bout the mutual break-up. My bf n I went through that last wkend...cus he left me no choice and it realllllli hurt. I've just started eating again the pain felt so bad. I hope urz wasn't as messy as mine (wasn't sposed to be). Stay strong! Btw this is probberz a stupid q but who is d person on ur pic she lookz wel kewl! bet its laik reali obvious or sumat.
I wan't my hair like that tho.

my ex was like oh i want some me time to change become a man etc etc?! so i was like right il have fucking god damn me time the extreme..SO this weekend im having a free bobbi brown makeover, cut n highlights, AHA facial on face and back, getting some new dr hauschka facecare its soo brill!, gettin sum new outfits, n going to a beauty/celeb event on sunday!! woohoo...on my own but hey it is me time.

I;m on day 12 of my chart but i was upset this week so for the first time i attacked my face with tweezers..kept on putting off going to bed and didn't revise. But hey we all gota get back up on r feet right!!

I'M SUCH A NUTTER IM AUDITIONING FOR XFACTOR MAN!

Bai XXXXX