Do people not see that I'm hurting myself?

[pltzsgrrb]

I hurt myself by picking. Spots, ingrown hairs, scabs/grazes, cuticles.

My face has about a dozen big scabs/sores on it and my legs have about the same number of scabs from picking at ingrown hairs (obviously these can't be seen though).

No one ever mentions it to me but they are very obvious, always there, etc.

I feel ashamed that I can't stop - I so want to but I can't. Feel pretty hopeless about it. I take fluoxetine for depression and anxiety.

im so sorry you feel so bad. im not qualified in any way but i have taken fluoxetine and it was a help to me but it isnt working for you so u sld see your gp and see if more appropriate treatment can be given.
maybe people do see but they dont know what to say so say nothing.
i think maybe everyone can be so wound up with their own day to day stuff they dont have the energy to look about them for who cld do with a little bit of assistance.
i do hope you feel better soon xxx.
much love to you.

It may be worth going back to your GP for meds review.

Please don't take what i am about to say the wrong way - do you want people to notice? I often have scabs on my face from doing the same thing (its not how i harm usually) but no one says anything. It may be that they don't know, they may think you have picked a spot and its gone 'wrong'.

I agree, I very much doubt people don't notice, but they would probably consider it very rude to bring up. Don't assume that they don't care. I would definately either up your dose or ask for an alternative. Have you been offered CBT?

Hi, I'm sorry you're harming. Have you seen anyone about changing your AD? I was on fluoxetine but it made me a million times worse, I changed to citalopram and it was so much better! Different things work for different people.

I would imagine that when mose people think of SH they think cutting and that's it. Things like burning, hair pulling or picking scabs etc probably wouldn't cross their minds as a method of SH. As somebody else mentioned, they probably think you went a bit overboard squeezing a spot. So it's not that they don't care just don't understand. Is there anyone you can speak to?

I imagine they botice, but they probably don't realsie you are doing it to yourself. It could look like the lesions that heroin addicts get - or bad acne, or a bacterial infection like impetigo? Do you have friends and family around you? Do they not notice - or do they know you do it?

They probably don't want to mention it due to it seeming rude. No one mentions my self harm scars, probably for the same reason. Tbh, unless I knew someone well I wouldn't mention any self harm signs either.