can't stop picking!!

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lleess

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i have had moderate acne for a while, and lately my perscription drugs seem to finally be kicking in. i truly believe that my skin would be clear right now- completely clear!- except that i cannot keep my hanRAB off my face! i literally can't help myself. every night before i go to sleep and every morning when i wake up, the first thing i do is stare at my face really closely in the mirror, and then start scratching and squeezing every tiny little bump or red area. my sensitive skin enRAB up getting swollen and infected, and before i know it i have created a massive scabbed cyst out of NOTHING.

can anyone offer any advice to help with this problem? i know what i'm doing is harmful, and i just can't seem to stop myself. and now i look AWFUL.

thanks so much in advance!
 
:angel:I don't know if this will help but my heart goes out to you so much....I have never met somebody with my problem before....mine was so severe that I turned to drugs and alcohol to cope.....I knew I was very different to other people...I couldnt help what I did....I desperately wanted to....no doctor or specialist had any answer...life was very very bad for a long time because it affected my sence of self worth. Skin picking is also incredibly mentally draining and often left me feeling so tired that I just wanted to go to sleep.
Its onset for me came @ the age of 7.....by my early 20s my whole face was raw and weeping and yes I looked a mess and mentally was a mess. I couldnot understand why I was doing this to myself.
I am now 36 and the worst is over....only because the underlying acne has subsided with the help of certain things. I mananaged to complete a nursing degree here in nz but then was too ill often to go to work.
Its one of the cruelest illnesses in the world but there is hope.!!!!!!!

This is what I did....any small bump or zit on my face I would pick @....I hate them and still do. I needed to a) improve my diet and b) Tackle the acne itself....I have done this using products which contain Benzol Peroxide....the most common incredient found in all effective acne fighting medications. I use clearasil extra strengh ....I buy it @ the supermarket. It is 10% benzol peroxide. It does have a drying effect on your skin and u shouldn't wear it on your skin if you are going to spend the day out in the hot sun....so I put my cream on before I go to bed. I get acne because I have very oily skin.
.....and c)..... skin picking of this nature will normally mean you have a diagnosis of OCD. Obssessive compulsive disorder. Don't be scared....its not your fault!!!!! It is an anxiety disorder therefore it is really important to find a drug prescribed by your gp that helps. Theses are called SSRIs. Seratonin selective reuptake inhibitors. Your Gp will know all about them....they are good in that they also tackle depression which will go hand in hand with this evil illness. I am only on one ssri called Citaloprm. You can google SSRIs aswell. You need to find an SSRI that is suited to your body because some give you side effects and some dont.....dont be afraid!
So my advice...try a.. b and c....and also use a nice gentle face cleanser day and night....dont sleep with makeup on and make sure your cleanser is soap free...soap is not good.

Wish I could give you a big hug..... it will get better...don't give up....you are a beautiful person and this is not the life you derserve. Help is out there. I would love to hear how you get on....regarRAB Nicole.
 
you are not the only one, I have had the same problem for many years, It consumes me. There is never a day that I dont have a sore on my face that I caused from picking at nothing. I am feel like everyone looks straight at my face and can see what I do to myself, sometimes I turn down invitations because I look so bad.
One good thing for me is that I am not as bad as I used to be for a few reasons (1) I started to limit my time in front of the mirror (2) I chose only to pick some parts of my face not all (3) I am now on anti anxiety medication (4) I have just started doing tapping to help me stop it seems to help. You will find info about tapping online, or see a psycologist about it. Hope this helps you. I was comforted by the fact that I was not the only one with this problem, take care of your self
 
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