I'm in need of some advice. It's about skin picking/biting. So I've always been nervous & anxious, even from a very young age. I just recently turned 23. Anyways, I've always had the bad habit of biting my nails, but that stopped a long time ago. Then I moved onto biting the skin around my fingernails as well as picking it. I was able to stop at one point, but I'm right back at it again. I was on meds for about 1.5 years but came off of them at the end of 2015. I didn't even realise that my OCD was basically gone until I stopped the meds and it came back full force and then some. Coming off of my meds really messed me up because my depression and anxiety came back and got even worse which in turn made my OCD worse as well. So of course I started to pick and bite my fingers again & I haven't been able to stop since then. It's very embarrassing & I'm always trying to hide my hands. They bleed, they're red, and they hurt really badly but that just stresses me out more which causes me to pick more. It's a never-ending cycle that I can't get out of for anything. Does anyone have any tips on how to quit this compulsion? It's ruining my life & I'm not sure what to do. I've tried bandaids, cotton gloves, manicures, stress toys, stress balls, having a friend call me out on it, I'm so stuck. Thank you in advance.

Were you practicing ERP while you were on meds? Meds make things easier to manage and does not cure OCD so if you come off of it, especially if you stopped abruptly, things will either stay the same as before you took meds or even worse. I have same problems as you where I’d pick at my fingers. Be aware when you go to pick your skin and refrain from it. Cutting nails short might help but you know it can still do damages. What if you get a nice manicure so you will less likely to pick at it. But the best way is to realize you’re about to, then stay with the uneasiness.

What if you put a dollar into a piggy bank each time you pick at it? And when you’re done picking at your skin for good, treat yourself to something nice with the money you put away?

Crazy Cat Lady, that's a good idea but I'm just afraid that I'll just pick at my fingers & never have anyone pushing me to put the money in the bank....maybe every day that I go without picking I'll put a dollar in the bank. Reward the good behaviour? I'm not sure :/

Okay, yeah reward the good behavior is what I was trying to aim for. Do you like chocolate? What makes you happy? Then only on days you didn’t pick, you can treat yourself to them. If you have it any other day it wouldn’t be a reward. Putting a dollar away might be negative for the days you don’t pick.

I do like chocolate but I have it everyday lol I guess I'd have to find something that I don't have or do everyday so that that can be my reward. My bf and I have been keeping this jar aside that he will put marbles in every time I do something for someone else. I'm working on learning how to deal with other peoples issues as well as my own, and whenever I do something good, like reminding him to go to the gym or reminding him to eat healthy instead of having that second donut, he puts a marble in the jar. Then when I get to 100 we're going to split the cost of a day trip

Aww that’s really sweet and sounds exciting!!

Oh you're right I didn't practice ERP at the time I was on the meds. The reason I went on meds was more for my depression/anxiety and I didn't realise my OCD until I was off the meds. Like, the OCD wasn't too much for me to handle where I felt like I needed to fix it. But yeah, I got a manicure but already ruined it and I feel bad :(