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Post by angelkiss on Oct 3, 2003 19:18:00 GMT -5
I am so excited :-) I am going to do a study on CSP with the help of my abnormal psychology professor!
I e-mailed him and asked him if he had ever heard about the disorder, and he said yes, although his research is primarily on OCD and perfectionism. In class on Tuesday he said he plans on showing a movie clip about a person struggling with a skin picking disorder!
Anyway, I told him that I have struggled with CSP my whole life and I finally got treatment and have my disorder under control for the first time in 18 years. I said I really have been wanting to learn more about it and maybe do a study on how it correlates with perfectionism. He said he would definitely help me and help put together a strategy and show me where I can find some research on it.
So GUYS!! I could use your help!! I am going to put together a kind of preliminary survey and maybe, if you wouldn't mind participating, I could get some of your input?
Also I would love any suggestions you guys have, like what kind of research you would like to see done....do you want to know how many people with CSP also have OCD? Or would you be curious about how many CSP sufferers are perfectionists? Or perhaps what treatments are most successful with CSP? ANY ideas, just shout them out, what would you like to know that there isn't any research on already?
I'm just a student so I can't promise anything of course, but I really hope I can learn a lot more!
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Post by obnoxa on Oct 4, 2003 8:46:44 GMT -5
Angelkiss,
That sounds fantastic! I'd be more then happy to partake in a survey or anything if you need me. I'm interested in the successful treatment end of things. I have OCD but I'm not a perfectionist (that's not the kind of OCD I suffer from!), I agree with you I think this would be a great learning experience, make sure to keep us up to date!
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Post by Canuck on Oct 4, 2003 10:02:29 GMT -5
Angelkiss! What an opportunity! I'm so proud of you for getting involved in such a proactive approach towards our illness. Thank you SO MUCH for taking steps to making this something that the public is aware of. We're not freaks! And, you know, I bet for every one of us here there are at least 100 other people struggling with CSP.
Let us know if we can help. I'm quite sure that almost everyone here is willing to lend a helping hand. ;D
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Teresa =)
Full Member
"What does not kill me makes me stronger"
Posts: 109
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Post by Teresa =) on Oct 4, 2003 13:19:35 GMT -5
oh that is good u must feel so excited what u have to do now is to ask all posibly and maybe tips!! well have to go!! write later!!! for my part ask all... allllllllll dosent matter what about cs`p is always interesting to hear some theory!!
byee!
Teresa
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Post by christydiane on Oct 4, 2003 16:45:08 GMT -5
Hi. What a great idea. Sounds like a ton of work!
As most of you know, Dr.Penzel is my doctor. He told me that who ever diagnosed me with ocd was wrong. He thinks I have "sensory intergration disorder."
It is hard to find any info on the subject b/c it is not well studies. It in not even a diagnosis. It is studied in children. There is a book called "the out of sink child"
These children have problems with different sensations such as clothing, laced shoes, visualizing trees moving on a windy day, loud noises, strong smells, music, etc.
I have these problems as an adult-I don't know if it has anything to do with csp. Maybe it is worth looking into.
Good Luck!!
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Post by Bobbie on Oct 4, 2003 18:12:38 GMT -5
I am so glad you can do this research...the more we learn can help us all, I feel. I am 57 years old and have done this(CSP) all my life. If I can help you with information about myself please let me know..beme723@hotmail.com good luck, Bobbie  |
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Post by angelkiss on Oct 4, 2003 21:21:39 GMT -5
hey guys, thanks for all the enthusiasm and tips! i am definitely going to try to look into that sensory integration disorder, christine. i have a meeting with my professor monday morning so i will start from there. i hope to do some sort of preliminary survey, as i mentioned before...it's just a matter of getting all the info together and creating it, so it might take me a little time. but i'm so glad you guys are so willing to help :-) i love all of you.
keep your ideas coming!
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Post by touchingpeace on Oct 6, 2003 11:27:26 GMT -5
Great!!!
I am a psychology major at my school and have really been wondering lately if one of the reasons I need to overcome this thing is because the ones with the dis-ease have the most compassion and understanding for others with similar difficulties. Wonderful idea, I'd love to help in any way I can. Something that I feel is really important is that we work to make this issue less taboo. I know I never told anyone because of my shame and embarrassment. The more we learn the less isolated we will feel. Thanks everyone for working so hard. I am grateful for the support I find on this site. Take care.
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Post by vampiress on Oct 6, 2003 12:29:21 GMT -5
Dear Angelkiss:
Congratulations! I am a writer and I tend to deal with a lot of my negative, depressive emotions that result from all my years of picking by creating short stories about troubled characters. I think that a good sign of your own recovery is that you're able to create enough distance between yourself and CSP to report about it more objectively. Bravo! I wholeheartedly agree with all the points of interest you mentioned studying in your post. I also agree that the social/cultural component of why there is such a stigma associated with picking would be extremely interesting. There are so many examples in our culture of the 'abhorrant' practices of harming the flesh, from the movie "The Secretary," to S & M practices, to eating disorders, to suicide, back to the the crucifixion of Christ. The shame we feel as pickers comes from the society/culture in which we live. Why is it so much better to ignore us and condemn us, than to get us the help we really need? Just a few thoughts...Keep me posted as to the survey. Best of luck! --Vamp
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Post by angelkiss on Oct 6, 2003 19:45:44 GMT -5
you're right, the shame associated with this disorder has left it out of the spotlight and has made it much more difficult for sufferers like us to cope and even find out where to get treatment. For me, it means there is so much ground to cover and so many different areas I can concentrate my research on. You would be amazed, however, at the number of studies done on skin picking. I have done a few literature searches and have uncovered a LOT. It's not the multitude of information you may find on something more common, but there have been case studies done, drug treatment studies, studies with inositol and habit reversal, etc. i am considering a few different studies right now, it will take me a while to go through all the information i have found. I have seen lots of research on adults or college-age people who compulsively pick, but nothing on children who exhibit this behavior. And I know for a fact that I have been a skin picker since I was 3...it wasn't nearly as bad as later on, but it was noticeable and it definitely developed at that time. so what i want to ask is...did you exhibit skin picking behavior when you were a child (before puberty?) If so, what is the earliest age you can remember picking your skin?go ahead and post whether it is a yes or no answer, i just want to get a general idea of the trend. Thanks for your participation!!  |
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Post by Stef (Incubabe) on Oct 6, 2003 21:07:52 GMT -5
I would always pick as scabs and stuff...but I guess every kid is guilty of that. I started picking in the 7th grade...so I was 12.
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Post by touchingpeace on Oct 6, 2003 23:54:47 GMT -5
So, I started picking when I was 11. For me, this was in the midst of puberty. I can say I distinctly remember feeling detached from my body. I was practically the first girl to "develop" in my class. I received a lot of negative attention because of this, and did not care a whole lot about my body. So, the experience I had at school combined with any other negative info I received about body image from t.v., magazines, movies, etc. supported my body-mind disconnection. This made it very easy for me to begin and continue picking. It became my primary stress reliever. My thinking then was, if I can't measure up to beauty standards and be perfect then what difference did it make? I now know what difference this makes. Only in recent years did my internal experience take precedence over my external one. Well, I could blab on forever.
I also wanted to know if anyone had heard of Hakomi? I feel this just might be the best therapeutic modality around. If you can't find an Hakomi therapist around, maybe check out a book by Ron Kurtz. It's interesting stuff nonetheless.
Take care.
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sanctuary
New Member
No Excuses! Alice and Chains is my other escape.....
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Post by sanctuary on Oct 7, 2003 13:40:40 GMT -5
Angelkiss,
Im a little late on reading this information on your up coming research. If there is anything you need from me, count me in. I can never get enough information about it and would love to be of help. If anyone knows of some good books I can get exclusively on csp other than the ocd books or Trich books, please let me know. ;)Thanks and God Bless *Sanctuary*
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Post by pickles on Oct 7, 2003 20:54:11 GMT -5
Angelkiss, I think that is so cool that you are getting involved in this! I think it will help everyone here! It does sound like a lot of hard work though! Good luck to you! And to answer your question, yes I began picking before I hit puberty. I was 6 or 7 when I started picking. pickles |
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Post by TweezerQueen on Oct 9, 2003 5:57:20 GMT -5
I started picking when I was about 11 years old. I am also a cheek chewer, hair twirler and nail biter.
I have often wondered if there is a genetic component to CSP. I have two sisters and both of them pick as well. One of them is also a cheek chewer.
My father picks at the skin around his fingernails and at any scabs he can find. He is also a cheek chewer and hair twirler.
The other day I noticed my 9 year old son twirling his hair. It made me wonder if we pick up these habits because we have seen others do it or because we are genetically programmed to do it.
Whatever the reason, I desperately want to stop my nearly 30 years of picking.
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