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Skin Picking & Anxiety

User Profile: experienceoverall
experienceoverall October 21st, 2024

Hello! I’ve been dealing with on and off skin picking for a few years now. It seems to increase whenever I have more stress and anxiety in my life. The urge mainly comes from wanting my skin to feel smooth and if I feel a rough bump I will pick at it. I’ve really tried to tell myself to resist the urge, but it always comes back. I have also put more lotion on my body and that does help as much as it can, but the picking is still there. I have scars from this and I want to stop as soon as I can since I’ve been picking my face now. I feel relief when I can feel my skin and it’s all smooth, but now it has been affecting my appearance and that my skin gets damaged. I put bandages to try and help and it really helps, but I don’t want to be seen with a big bandaid on my forehead (for example) in public. What are other ways I can help get rid of this habit once and for all?

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User Profile: Mya000
Mya000 October 21st, 2024

@experienceoverall It’s great that you're trying different strategies like using lotion and bandages. In addition to those, you might consider keeping your hands busy with activities like fidget toys or stress balls to redirect the urge. Mindfulness and grounding techniques can also help you manage anxiety in the moment.