Skin picking is a habit not self harm??

[Itsahabitnotharm]

I’ve always had a bad habit of skin picking due to ASD, I very occasionally get an infection due to it. I saw a new GP at my surgery yesterday and I’ve just seen they’ve recorded it as ‘self harm’ on my notes ???

It’s just a habit?! Or is it now classed as self harm? AIBU to be annoyed at this

Ridiculous. I do it too. Would hate to think they gave this the same credence as people cutting themselves etc..
Mental health queues are long enough without people being added for a silly habit.
Guessing nailbiting will be classed as trauma related next.

It's not just that at all

It’s just concerning me having ‘self harm’ recorded on my medical records

But you ARE hurting yourself.

Similar to trichotillomania I’d suspect

Not intentionally and for the most part it doesn’t hurt just looks unsightly and I’ve had 3 infections over 6 years that I’ve needed to get antibiotic cream/tablets for. I just pick without realising and in my mind self harm was always a very definite episode that a person does to intentionally harm themselves?

I will try to speak to the practice manager next week and see if they can amend it or add more information so it’s not just ‘self harm’

@Itsahabitnotharm It's definitely a form of self-harm, whilst I understand that it's something that you do subconsciously as a form of stimming, but it's still self injurious behaviour.
I know people will be suggesting cbt/dbt/talking therapy but I also know that it's unlikely to help as this is your stimming/self soothing subconscious act that is deeply ingrained and part of your asd.
Personally, I'd try and reduce your stress level and make sure that you always disinfect any bleeding areas and try to keep them clean and dry. If you're feeling brave/ wanting to change the way you stim, you could try wearing thin cotton or raw silk gloves to make the skin picking more difficult.

@Itsahabitnotharm I have tried to explain to my 15 year old son ASD that it's selfharm because it's making him vulnerable for infections which if things turn for the worse could lead to sepsis. I think I scared him because he is now touching his skin repeatedly so that dry skin comes of. It's quite repulsive but atleast he doesn't risk an infection.
Personally I would put smoking, overeating under self harm as well and I say that as an ex smoker. If you deliberately do something that you know is harmful to your health it's self harm.

@LeanIntoChaos how is it best to manage self injury?

My DD1 is not diagnosed ASD but she self identifies as ND. She has been biting and ripping the skin from her fingers for 16 years. Started at 9 as a coping mechanism for stress.

I pick my lips when I’m nervous or anxious. I always have.

Yes it is self harm. You are harming yourself.

You are still harming yourself, whether you agree with the terminology or not.

Your personal definition of self-harm is just your own, though. Medically, you are harming yourself - and by the way, three lots of antibiotics in six years for self-inflicted infections is not a trivial matter. It’s pretty serious. Most people who actually do cut themselves with blades don’t need to seek that much medical attention for the damage they do.

Your skin picking is self-harm and it’s pretty serious self-harm if you’ve needed antibiotics three times in six years.

2 of those occasions it was an antibiotic cream and one course of tablets . I’m going to speak to the practice manager and ask them to change it to ‘paronychia due to compulsive skin picking’ which is more accurate than just ‘self harm’

I do skin picking. I'd definitely classify it as self harm. I do it without really thinking, but it is definitely something I do when stressed, and can develop further. I wish I'd recognised it as self-harm earlier, as that would have been helpful for me realising that I needed support.
Sorry.

I've done it since a child. Although I don't like to recognise it, I personally feel like it is self harming. Even though I've never been to the doctor for it, I do leave my skin damaged and painful, and sometimes scarred, and I struggle to not do it even though I know it's not a good thing to do. So I am harming myself just not in a really dangerous way.

I personally wouldn't care if it was on my medical record. But then my medical record doesn't make for great reading besides that!

Body focused repetitive behaviours, i do it and hate myself for it. I have eczema anyway so it's not good. Currently havr a patch on my elbow that is really sore. I am trying different strategies to help reduce it, definitely is worse with stress. I am adhd, likely asd as well it's a common behaviour. I always thought if it as sort of self harm, it can be really painful at times. But it is more habit than intentional self harm.

Definitely speak to your doctor about it if you aren't comfortable with it.

Just for comparison though, I've cut my legs since I was 12 - i do it because it calms my brain, not with the actual intention to hurt myself and it is largely a habit. I've needed medical attention 3 times in over 25 years, so not all that dissimilar to what you have described.

But trich (usually) doesn't cause infections. It's more for the 'buzz'.

I've been skin picking my fingers for nearly 20 years. I don't realise I'm doing it at times. I told my brother I think I have dermatophagia. He said no you don't, it's just a bad habit. But I believe it is a form of self harm. I've actually been trying to not pick them this week and use fidget toys to distract me.

To me it's like biting your nails sucking your thumb, squeezing spots or picking off scabs.

It isn’t deliberate self harm but it is a maladaptive coping strategy that causes hard to your body. You are self harming but as a by product rather than the aim of the action.

I think this is an excellent answer.
You're not doing it to harm/punish yourself - you probably even enjoy the feeling of doing it. It's just there's an unfortunate negative consequence of doing it.

I bite/pick my nails and yes sometimes the skin around them. But no, no one will convince me this is self harm. It's a habit I've had since I was 3.

It’s NOT self harm. It’s self soothing. Completely different compulsion. Totally different issue and treated quite differently