Post by skigirl on Jun 4, 2004 17:30:36 GMT -5
I've been pick free for 10 days now. Not totally ZT, but when my hands start roaming, I notice and I'm able to stop. I can't believe how often I've been doing this for several years now. It really shows since I've been making an effort to stop. But anyway, the trend I've noticed is that while the picking has seemed to relieve tension before, I feel like it has actually been increasing tension. Because while I was picking before, I also spent my time worrying. I would have whole scenarios running through my mind, and I would have this pressured feeling to make everything right, in my relationships, in my whole life, and especially my skin. So it's like the picking was feeding off the ruminating, and the obsessive thoughts were going out of control because I was in such an intense state of concentration. I'm starting to feel the same relief with not picking that I did when I quit smoking. At first, when I quit smoking, I was tense and couldn't stop thinking about cigarettes, but then gradually it was easier and easier. I feel like I've reached a similar summit with my picking habit, like I'm not missing it, and in fact I'm glad that it's no longer such a huge part of my life.
BTW, my skin looks so beautiful. During my first few days of trying to quit picking, I didn't look at myself except enough to avoid leaving the house looking weird. But now I'm taking a better look at myself, but not like before. I see all of me, instead of concentrating on my imperfections. What has helped me most is posting here and reading other's posts, taking showers with back-lighting, leaving my window shades open during the day so the neighbors can see me if I were to start picking, and every day I get dressed as if I'm going somewhere, even if I'm not, so I wear my cutest clothes (even tank tops and mini skirts), and put on makeup and do my hair.
I'm just overall more comfortable in my own skin ;D.
BTW, my skin looks so beautiful. During my first few days of trying to quit picking, I didn't look at myself except enough to avoid leaving the house looking weird. But now I'm taking a better look at myself, but not like before. I see all of me, instead of concentrating on my imperfections. What has helped me most is posting here and reading other's posts, taking showers with back-lighting, leaving my window shades open during the day so the neighbors can see me if I were to start picking, and every day I get dressed as if I'm going somewhere, even if I'm not, so I wear my cutest clothes (even tank tops and mini skirts), and put on makeup and do my hair.
I'm just overall more comfortable in my own skin ;D.