Dermatillomania

[Mika78]

I just discovered it's a disorder with its own name: Dermatillomania.
Do any of you suffer from it? I don't think it's not worth to get a doctor involved  just for that, so I would like to know if anyone suffers from it and how you have resolved it. I do it because I feel satisfaction when I do it, but I know it's not a healthy thing to do. Thank you

[marin]

deleted by me, sorry Mika...

Edited April 1 by marin

[Mika78]

7 minutes ago, marin said:

Could be a nervous condition in your case. You do have an extremely long overstay hanging over you. 

Overstay? Why? I am not.

[marin]

4 minutes ago, Mika78 said:

Overstay? Why? I am not.

Very sorry had you mixed up with another poster. 

[Sheryl]

For those who do not know, he is referring to compulsive skin-picking.

 

It usually responds well to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is not done by doctors but rather by therapists/counselors.

 

In deciding whether to seek such treatment the severity of the compulsion and whether it is causing injury to the skin would be factors.

 

Also worth considering that this is often due to underlying anxiety in which case even if you managed to stop doing it on your own, you'd likely have other symptoms/issues because thdle anxiety would still be there. 

 

 

[newbee2022]

20 hours ago, Mika78 said:

I just discovered it's a disorder with its own name: Dermatillomania.
Do any of you suffer from it? I don't think it's not worth to get a doctor involved  just for that, so I would like to know if anyone suffers from it and how you have resolved it. I do it because I feel satisfaction when I do it, but I know it's not a healthy thing to do. Thank you

It's a mental problem and should be treated by a qualified specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist)

[newbee2022]

6 hours ago, Sheryl said:

For those who do not know, he is referring to compulsive skin-picking.

 

It usually responds well to cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) which is not done by doctors but rather by therapists/counselors.

 

In deciding whether to seek such treatment the severity of the compulsion and whether it is causing injury to the skin would be factors.

 

Also worth considering that this is often due to underlying anxiety in which case even if you managed to stop doing it on your own, you'd likely have other symptoms/issues because thdle anxiety would still be there. 

 

 

It's a mental problem and should be treated by a qualified specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist). You should know that.

[fredwiggy]

9 minutes ago, newbee2022 said:

It's a mental problem and should be treated by a qualified specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist). You should know that.

She does know that. This is why she said it usually responds well to CBT. Like Trichotillomania and others, it's a mental issue.

[newbee2022]

2 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

She does know that. This is why she said it usually responds well to CBT. Like Trichotillomania and others, it's a mental issue.

Are you her sister, brother, son, or something else?

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, newbee2022 said:

Are you her sister, brother, son, or something else?

No, just another one that understands mental issues from reading up on them.

[retarius]

Does it include nail biting? 

[newbee2022]

3 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

No, just another one that understands mental issues from reading up on them.

Silly reply. I asked you how do you about another person's knowledge? I didn't asked you about what are you reading. End of.

[fredwiggy]

1 minute ago, newbee2022 said:

Silly reply. I asked you how do you about another person's knowledge? I didn't asked you about what are you reading. End of.

You asked if I was her sister, brother, son or something else. I gave you something else. I can see by her posts that she is knowledgeable on many things pertaining to health. As this is (was) my field, I can tell she's up on certain things regarding health, both physical and mental.

[ignore it]

New Word! 

Thanks.

 

(One of the strife'e cats has it)

[Sheryl]

9 hours ago, newbee2022 said:

It's a mental problem and should be treated by a qualified specialist (psychologist, psychiatrist). You should know that.

Which is why I recommended pyschological treatment from a mental health professional. 

 

A psychiatrist as opposed to a therapist/counsellor (who would usually be psychologists or psychiatric social workers) would be necessary only if medication required.  That is sometimes the case but usually not with this condition. Cognutive  Behavioral Theraoy (CBT) is usually sufficient and would normally be first step.

[JimTripper]

The skin picking or hair pulling typically involves some sort of self soothing. It reduces mental stress and anxiety.

 

An irregularity in a hair or skin surface is picked off, often played with or eaten, which produces a feeling of something being put right or an imperfection removed, and a mental release follows.

 

It's extremely difficult to stop on your own for an extended period of time. Some patients can overcome the specific behavior, but it reappears in other areas, like picking in another body location, or just anything similar really.

 

Look at the situation you are in when the behavior occurs. Where are you or what are you doing? Alone on a Saturday night, in traffic, whatever. Therein lies a clue to where the anxiety or unease is coming from that needs to be soothed by picking. Write a picking journal with times and locations. You will eventually see a pattern.

 

From there you just keep looking deeper into what's making you need to feel soothed in that situation. Do you feel not competent enough or imperfect in crowds, on a date, while driving? What are you reading about or watching on TV while you pick? Does it remind you of your childhood, problems with family growing up? Your mother, or father? 🤷🏻‍♂️

 

Then you start taking other actions or mastering skills that make you feel Ok in those situations, and the need to pick should weaken.

Edited April 2 by JimTripper