Does anyone else have skin-picking disorder? I heard that it was sometimes common with people with OCD and I’ve had this issue from childhood so I just wanted to know how common this was

It’s not at all! No worries! I actually have a few tricks that I’ve used that I can share. Nothings really helped me long term, but these are just some of the things that put it off for awhile. So one of the things that triggers me is studying bc I get anxious, so when I study I wear either winter or rubber gloves. When I’m doing something mindless, like watching tv or reading, I either knit or fold laundry...anything that’ll keep my hands occupied. I also try to defer picking. Like if I start to pick at 4:15, I tell myself to wait until 5:30. Most of the time, 5:30 comes around and you don’t even remember. I also tend to target my lips a lot when they’re chapped, so I keep applying chapstick so that doesn’t happen. Burts bees works really well! I also try to set aside “picking days” and non picking days...but I can never make it more than 3 days without my fingers itching (I’ve been targeting my fingers since I was a little girl) It’s soooo hard to get help, a lot of time therapists will just ignore it when you say it’s a problem bc they don’t know how to help. I had another therapist tell me that every smart person has a “weird thing” and that maybe skin picking is just my weird thing, but I don’t want it to be anymore. Stay strong ❤️ I know it’s hard, but we can beat this ??

@SuperNova22 This is so incredible to read... thank you so much for your kindness and for sharing your tips! I completely resonate with everting you’re saying. It’s relieving to know there’s someone else who gets it. I love both the physical and psychological aspects of your tips. I’m definitely going to try out the gloves and timing ideas. I’ll check back to give an update on my progress! I think accountability is also a great motivator - when I know I’ll be wearing a backless dress or swimsuit, the willpower to overcome the urges is stronger. In the winter it’s so much easier to just throw on a sweater and throw accountability out the window since I’m able to cover up my skin. Now that the weather is warming up, there’s more reason to put the pressure on myself. I figure if I’m going to wear something that’ll expose my skin, it’ll be a positive reward to show off clean unpicked skin and a negative punishment if it’s not. I realize this strategy might be less applicable for the target areas you described, but maybe the idea behind it can at least be a little helpful! Maybe you could try applying a heavy lotion on your hands? I’ve found that putting on a ton of lotion makes my hands and nails too slippery to pick and grab hold of something. And you’re right, we are strong and we can overcome this ⭐️ Wishing you the same support and recovery!!

@Cupkate I just thought of another one for you...you said something about being in a trance in front of your mirror. Have you tried setting an alarm for when you’re in the bathroom? That way if you fall into a trance the alarm will pull you out of it and away from the mirror

Thank you!