Skin picking and nail biting

[annoymous1]

Hey I've just found this board. I was was searching to see it what I do is normal and I found this site. But I'm curious if mine is the same. On a lot of Skin picking boards they talk of scalp, face, shoulders, arms and hands.

I pick and I pick a lot. But I pick at the heels and Bawls of my feet. I pck there more then anywhere else, especially after a bath and when I am stressed out. I also tend to search my body for things to pop, and when they won't pop anymore they turn into scabs and then I keep picking the scabs.

Not only do I do this I bite my nails so far down that they bleed. Am I an obcessive Skin picker/nail biter?

I've been biting my nails since I was 4 and I have been picking my skin (started with my feet) since I was 10 and by the time I was 13 the searching for pimples to pop began.

I'm now 19, and I'll be 20 in April. I'm worried that this problem makes me weird and I'm not quite sure what to do about it. I don't like to wear sandals in the summer cause of my really badly picked feet. I won't even let my boyfriend touch my feet because I'm so ashammed.

I don't know how I picked it up or how to fix it. Does anyone else here pick their feet? Because that's where I pick the most. Sometimes I pick so much it really, REALLY hurts to walk. and I have to wrap my feet up so the pain stops.

Band aids do nothing for me, same with stopping for 24hrs (My picking can stop for a few months but start up again as soon as I'm stressed and it will last for months) it;s kind of like a cycle for me.

Any suggestions? Anyone with the same problem? Alsodo this mean I have a form of Obcessive Compulsive Disorder? I read that somewhere.

Please help me.

[annoymous1]

Shame how everyone else gets suport and I feel kind of ignored here. It's almost like I'm being shunned here, and I'm already insecure about this. I guess it was a mistake trying to ask for some help.

[anonymousartist]

You're not being shunned. I understand the impulse to feel ignored because I often feel it myself in places but this board isn't as active as it once was (sometimes it picks up, sometimes it stays slow). I have tried starting a new board at skinpicking.proboards77.com/index.cgi which you are more than welcome to join.

To answer some of your questions, I'm certain you're not alone. I don't feel there is enough research that covers skin picking, the causes and how to stop it, but I do think that peeling skin, picking and popping things like pores, pimples and scabs, nailbiting hairpulling are all related, because many people report the same types of experiences (like zoning out, doing it to alleviate anxiety, and some do it as a symptom of OCD but I really don't think in many cases that it is OCD).

OCD is characterized by repeating an action whereby one believes that there will be a bad consequence if they don't do it. These are called ticks. Some people wash their hands ten times to avoid germs. Some connections don't seem rational at all to people outside the disorder. Some check the locks 15 times or do everything a certain number of times. But they all have a belief that the action must be done. It's both obsessive (they have some belief about it) and compulsive (they can't control doing it).

I believe that my experience with picking is merely compulsive. I am strongly drawn toward picking, but if say, I'm really busy for a week my skin will clear up and I'll notice I hadn't picked because I didn't have time. I didn't think about it the whole time and I didn't care. But once I'm in front of the mirror or start searching my skin, I can't control the impulse to pick most of the time. (BTW I pick my arms, chest, legs, face, anywhere there's a bump). I have pulled hairs before and I also peeled my nails off a lot when I was younger (I stopped merely by catching myself and telling myself to stop each time. It didn't seem like such a big deal to me at the time, maybe because I was only doing it for pleasure, but picking I do to deal with anxiety). I also don't have other tendencies that I would think relate to OCD.

I think it may be a little different for everyone. Some speculate that it could be a grooming gene gone out of control. There are just too many unproven theories. The one thing I can tell you is that you are not alone and you are in the company of people who understand your experience. No reason to be ashamed anymore (isn't shame the worst part?) This doesn't make you weird. There are probably several other people you know in person who have similar tendencies that they hide.

We're all trying to figure out how to stop. If you search the boards, you may find some stories of others who have stopped. Just remember that if you take any action that involves medication to find a knowledgeable, caring professional who can help you. What's right for one person may not be right for others. And of course you are welcome at the boards for support too.

Something you might try for those feet of yours is to keep them covered (clean socks) at all times when you're not wet (in a shower or bath) and get out of the shower or bath very quickly. You could also look up how to do a really nice pedicure or better yet have regular pedicures and manicures done by a professional. It will make you want to keep your feet and fingers in good shape (I have a friend who bit her nails very badly and started getting manicures weekly and it helped. After a while she was able to start growing her nails without them splitting). You may also just want to concentrate on one thing at a time.

Good luck,
--becca