Dermatillomania

You are not the only one you have this condition, but if you have a skin picking disorder, you will probably spend more time alone. If you are like many others who suffer from skin picking, you may have noticeable sores and even scarring as a result of your habit.

The majority of people with this disorder don’t talk about it, and they seldom seek medical assistance because healthcare experts and loved ones typically encourage them to just stop. Due to embarrassment and shame, they are quite proficient at concealing their problem. What matters most is that you recognize that you can change your habit with time and effort.

Recognize your personal triggers

Picking can be triggered by a multitude of factors, including itch, boredom, or negative emotions, as well as defects or merely looking at or touching your skin. It’s possible that you’ll enjoy the process of picking. Understanding your triggers might help you decide which therapy to try first. If you’re selecting because of a skin condition like acne or itch, for instance, you might want to contact a dermatologist first. If your picking is caused by anxiety, depression, or a strong desire, you should seek help from a mental health practitioner who specializes in skin picking.

Make it more difficult to pick at your skin

Modifying your environment to make it very difficult to pick is one basic method for reducing picking, known as stimuli control. Keeping your fingernails short, wearing rubber gloves when you’re most prone to pick, and keeping the skin harder to reach by wearing tight-fitting garments or long-sleeve shirts are all various elements of this strategy. You can also use a variety of objects to divert your hands, such as stress balls, silly putty, tangle toys, and fidgets. Once you’ve discovered something that works for you, make sure you have one with you at all times, including at work, at home, and in your purse.

Forget about your guilt

The first step is to admit that there is a problem with skin picking and to quit hiding it. You must let go of the shame connected with chronic picking in order to heal. This is only possible once the behavior has been exposed.

It’s possible that your conduct began innocently enough – perhaps you had a skin irritation or a sore that you picked at without thinking. Perhaps you were concerned about loose skin surrounding your nails or a hangnail because you were agitated. The picking, on the other hand, made things worse, and the cycle began.

Think about going to therapy

The majority of people will not benefit from antidepressants or drugs for obsessive-compulsive disorder. Instead, seeing a therapist is suggested and the need of finding the perfect match for both the patient and the therapist is emphasized.

The therapist should preferably be familiar with body-focused repetitive behaviors, such as skin picking. A hypnotherapist can be beneficial since this approach is a powerful tool to transform ingrained habits and behaviors and thought patterns.

Skin-picking support groups and therapists among the many local and online options are accessible.

Maintain a stress-free environment by practicing mindfulness

Stress reduction is an important part of the healing process. It is recommended that you practice stress management practices on a daily basis, such as:

• Meditation.
• Visualization
• Guided imagery
• Deep breathing
• Yoga

These relaxing techniques, in combination with a good diet, exercising regularly and having enough sleep, form an integrated approach to treating skin-picking conditions.

When people with skin picking conditions start picking, they usually slip into a trance or ‘zone out.’ It’s critical to understand how to stay grounded in the current moment in order to stop the behavior.

Skin-picking desires can be recognized when you gain awareness through a consistent mindfulness-based meditation practice. Rather, you can choose something different, like go out for a stroll, in those moments.