I know that I have OCD and I was told that the medication I take for my ADHD would help but I don't believe that it does, I now find myself picking and making the scabs on my head and I'm worried that the hair will not grow back but I cannot stop doing it. I don't know what to do. I was told I need therapy.
I suffer from this along with twirling and pulling my hair out. Apparently, it's all connected to anxiety and OCD. Some things that have worked for me are, fidget toys, trying to have more awareness of when I am doing it and what triggers it, and having my spouse say a "special word" when he catches me doing it. Instead of him telling me to stop, he will say "franks and beans" hahahaha! It actually does help :)
Thank you! I will have him try it. So you take medicine for your OCD?
Yeah, there is a special type of therapy to help with that called Habit Reversal Training. This helps with skin picking and scab picking. NOCD has therapists with specialty training to help both OCD and skin/scab picking so you can find relief! Please know that things can get better with the right kind of care and that you are not alone. I experience this too.
Does anyone have suggestions on how to stop picking at their scalp?
Does anyone have any good tips on how to reduce the urge to pick your skin? I wasn’t aware that this was something often associated with OCD until my therapist told me about it. I regularly engage in skin picking especially on my face and it has made my acne even worse and lead to scarring. I don’t want to continue doing it but sometimes I just do it without even realizing I’m doing it.
I have no clue when the last time I washed my hair was. I write down when I did on my calendar so I can make sure I don't go too long without washing. I'm too scared to see when the last time was, I know it will make me feel more gross and uncomfortable. I have enough shampoo and conditioner. But the one little stupid thing stopping me is my bonnet. A while ago, I wore my bonnet outside. When I went back inside, my head was itchy. I realized that some pollen must have gotten stuck in my bonnet. I have allergies. So, I figured it was no big deal and washed it in the sink. Then, my OCD gave me a habit of washing my bonnet every time I went outside, even if it was only for one minute to refill the dogs water bowl. And the washing got even worse, my OCD making me dip it in the water a certain amount of times and a bunch of other stuff. What happened recently was I opened the screen on the balcony to get my dog to come into the house, and I leaned a little outside while I was wearing my bonnet. My OCD made me think my bonnet was dirty again. It's not very easy to just ignore this compulsion. This one makes me think if I don't wash it, there will be pollen on it or other allergens and when I wear my bonnet when I go to sleep I will suffocate from my allergies and die in my sleep. I have no clue how to combat this. Hand washing it is really hard because of my OCD. I would love to wash my hair right now so I can feel clean, and not feel so embarrassed every time I leave the house, but I can't use my bonnet without intense fear. I was thinking, maybe I should buy a new bonnet and put away the old one until I feel better about it? Although I would have to wash the new one too because I don't really want to wear one that hasn't been washed before because new clothes are usually sprayed in chemicals to prevent bugs. I guess I could go to the store and buy one. Or just use the bonnet I already have. The reason I feel like I have to use a bonnet after washing my hair is also OCD I think, I'm not sure if it's OCD or logical. My hair will be very wet after washing it, and if I sleep in bed with wet hair the pillows and stuff could get moldy. I'm having success getting better from all my other OCD problems except for this one. Please, I could really appreciate some advice on how to beat this. I have a therapist but she doesn't specialize in OCD so she often doesn't know what to do for my problems. I really just want to wash my hair today.
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