Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

General health

Mumsnet doesn't verify the qualifications of users. If you have medical concerns, please consult a healthcare professional.

Rather strange compulsive problem - please help

15 replies

amincognito · 30/06/2006 13:33

I am a regular who has namechanged.

I have not talked about this before but it is making me miserable so I am going to ask for advice. It sounds weird/silly but when I am stressed (which is quite often) I scratch my upper arms, I have keratosis pilaris (common condition, little bumps on skin) and I pick them and scratch them and dig them out until they bleed. It started a couple of years ago and has got so bad that I am literally covered in scabs, and always bleeding onto my sleeves, I am sure lots of them will have scarred because they have been picked at and bled so much, there are hundreds of them, some are infected and quite large, and I can't seem to stop doing it. I have started doing it on my legs too and when I am really stressed I pick the skin on my face too, any little irregularity in the skin I scratch and dig at it. I know the reaction will probably be "just stop doing it then" but I CAN'T. I don't let dh see me naked any more because he would be horrified by the scabs and marks. I don't like having a bath because I don't like seeing what I do to myself. And it really hurts too.

Just wanted to tell someone.

OP posts:
LucyJones · 30/06/2006 13:37

Wen I'm stressed I scrath behind my ears. It got sobad they started to bleed so I went to the gp. He said I had a type of excema/psorasis and gave me some steriod crem. The cream works but I still scratch when stressed. It drives dh mad.

snowleopard · 30/06/2006 13:38

I'm not anywhere near this bad but I do know the urge to pick and scratch - I get eczema and I make it loads worse with the picking, especially when stressed. People also do things like pull their hair out because of stress - this kind of thing is quite common, you're not alone! It's almost impossible to just stop, but you can get help for it. Go to the GP, you can probably get some kind of therapy - or if you can afford it, a private therapist might be able to help - cognitive behaviour therapy or hypnosis.

MrsBadger · 30/06/2006 14:11

You're definitely not alone.

I get nasty blocked pores on my shoulders and upper arms, and I started to pick at and pop them when I was stressed, and have an assortment of nasty scars to show for it (they do fade in time though).

I guess it's a compulsive habit - there's something so satisfying about getting the lump of yuck out that I went into a calm, almost trancey, state while I was doing it.

If there's something else that can give you the same calmness, try displacing with that instead. I found I used to mostly pick on the loo (because no-one could see me), so kept a really juicy novel in there to distract myself; but stopping for a cup of tea, or getting up and walking round the room, or putting on some handcream or something might work too.

One thing that worked for a while and was v handy at work was a little essential oil rollerball scent thing from the Body Shop - you put it on pulse points when stressed and the fragrance was meant to calm you down. When I found myself going for the shoulder I'd divert to the desk drawer for the scent thingy instead. Even if the aromatherapy was all tosh, just doing something to break the cycle was helpful.

I also found that having a target helped a bit ie if I knew I was going to have to wear a strappy top for a party or something I'd try to stop picking for two weeks beforehand to help them heal - I'd let myself pick one really good one a day, and no more, and that actually worked quite well to drag me through the really bad patches.

The other thing that really helped was that DH is very skin conscious as he had bad acne as a teenager that left his back scarred, so he had spotted it was a problem for me and wasn't afraid to talk about it and be supportive. It does sometimes make me cross when he says 'stop picking!', but both of us are aware that I use it as a calming mechanism so I'm cross that my comfort blanket is being taken away rather than actually cross at DH.

When my shoulders were looking better (eg at party after two weeks of rationed picking), he'd always say how lovely I looked, and now they're clearing up altogether he often makes a point of how nice they're looking now. Sounds cheesey I know but we do do a lot of supporting each other - he needs the same kind of recognition when he loses weight.

It did all work - kind of - and I'm now happy wearing strappy stuff (unless I get a big red spot, but that's another issue).

You will get through it - feel free to try any or all of the above ideas, or CAT me if you'd rather.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 30/06/2006 16:30

No this does not sound either weird or silly at all. Your compulsion to scratch is affecting your daily life.

I would like you to be really brave and tell your GP what you have told us. You need to tell someone professional to overcome this and you can do this with help.

AttilaTheMeerkat · 30/06/2006 16:30

I was also going to suggest CBT - cognitive behavioural therapy.

Sugarmagnolia · 01/07/2006 09:42

You are not alone. Not as bad - probably more like MrsBadger, but I do it too. Always have, since I was little. Not just when I'm stressed - it's just a constant compulusion - any little scab or spot I just feel I HAVE to scratch it/pick it/whatever. When I was a teenager it was my legs for some reason. I have lots and lots of very faded round scars on my legs - a bit like chicken pox scars. You can't see them very well anymore unless I'm out in the sun a lot.

Now, like you, it's my arms. It has been quite bad at times over the last few years with lots of scabs but with summer here I'm desperately trying to keep it under control. It can be sooo satisfying to play with one of those little bumps, see if anything comes out, and then you start to get a scab that you have to pick at. So you see, you're not alone.

When I say it's been a lot better lately, I mean I still have lots of faded, but visible, scars on both arms and one or two scabs but I have been able - to wear short sleeve tops this summer. But I am always aware of my arms and wether people are looking at them.

What's helped me is something called Bio-Oil. I started using it on my arms back in January to try and reduce the scarring. To be honest I dont' think it really helped the scars that much (maybe a little) but it made my skin much smoother, reduced the number of bumps and spots significantly and thus reduced the chances to pick. I've also been keeping my nails REALLY short to reduce the damage.

I've never talked to my GP about it and if anyone (other than DH who pretty much knows what I do) asks what's wrong with my arms I just shrug and change the subject.

Sugarmagnolia · 01/07/2006 09:48

I just thought of something else to add - I also used to pick at the hard skin on the bottom of my feet all the time. Especially in the summer when I frequently had sandals on. It looked awful and sometimes really hurt & even bled. And as with my arms, I've found the best way to control it is to keep my feet in REALLY good condition. If there's no dry skin then there's nothign to pick at. So I religiously buff the & moisturize the dry skin on my feet now. If I find myself starting to pull bits of dry skin off my heel I run for the buffer!

FloatingOnTheMed · 01/07/2006 09:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

mrsteacher · 01/07/2006 09:55

i pick chunks out of the sides of my thumbs....

FloatingOnTheMed · 01/07/2006 09:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MrsBadger · 14/07/2006 08:41

amincognito, how are you doing?
know it's a pain to change name all over again so understand why you haven't posted, but I was thinking of you the other day and wanted to let you know

jaamy · 14/07/2006 08:52

Thank god for that - I'm not the only one! If I feel a bump, pimple, hard skin I HAVE to pick it. On my face, arms, feet, everywhere! It's worse when I'm tired or stressed.DH really doesn't understand. Will have to show him this thread.
Anyway, hope you are doing ok amincognito.

lorina · 14/07/2006 09:52

Skin picking very common in stressed people. It is part of the same 'disorder' as hair pulling (people who can literally end up bald).

Every one has a coping mechanism for when times are bad. ie binge drinking , over-eating , aggression towards others etc

You need to tackle the source of your stress. Easy to say and VERY hard to to do I know. But anything making you this unhappy needs to be addressed. I think you should show your Dh and ask for his help.

Hugs to you x

Ellbell · 14/07/2006 13:39

Have just stumbled on this thread. Isn't MN great? You think you're the only one with a particular problem, and you find that you're in good company after all.

I am another one who goes for the fingers. I used to bite my nails (right from before I started school) but eventually stopped biting the nails and started on the skin around and below my nails. I bite or pick it fairly constantly. It's often red raw and bleeding. It looks horrible and is painful and disgusting. But I can't stop. Will try to follow MrsB's advice about the aromatherapy roller though - don't think it'll cure me, but might help me to control it a bit.

Molton · 14/07/2006 16:44

Oh god, I do the skin on the heels thing. Generally in the summer and when I'm stressed. It's just sooooo satisfying, but am sitting here at work in flip flops with feet like roadkill and have promised myself a home pedicure tonight to try and bring an end to it.....

New posts on this thread. Refresh page
Swipe left for the next trending thread