Dealing with Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania

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[Th3_Thr3ad_Kill3r]

Blackrose_Knight

dancing-in-the-streets

Blackrose_Knight

I don't have trich but something different. Since I was younger I used to pick at the dead skin on my feet. Then it progressed to removing large chunks of flesh with knives and tweezers when I was preteen. It was so bad sometimes i couldn't walk right, I would have holes in my feet. I think I did it to releave stress. I still do it sometimes, when I am super stressed, though my fiance knows to take things away from me when I start going at my feet. I have moved into ripping off toenails as opposed to holes in the bottom of my feet, given I work on my feet for most of the day. I still bite my nails, and toenails.
*sigh* What that is, I have no idea. BUT i am getting better. I find toenail polish helps me not pick at my nails and hiding the knives and tweezers when I am in emotional distress helps too.

That sucks...
I've never heard of someone else that bites her toenails. I feel less crazy now.
Having someone helping out has been doing wonders for me. My husband will stop me if he catches me at it. It really doesn't take much from another person- just a quick, nonchalant comment, and I snap out of it...

I wonder, maybe, if all of this isn't different sides of the same issue. We all just get stressed and pick at ourselves, from what I can tell.
And, in the land of amatuerish psychology...why? I mean, for me (near as I can tell, and it sounds counter intuitive) I'm a perfectionist. It starts with a zit, then I pickandpickandpick to make it go away, though I know darn well it won't work...

That and the statement earlier that it is primarily *exclusively?* women who do this, makes me wonder if we all just responded to the demands for beauty or perfection or what not on us this way, by trying to control something? *edit* maybe not control something, but change a flaw we found in ourselves, and we focus on it until it gets out of hand?

lol yup, I still bite my nails as well, something I cannot cure (but I am okay with, I like having short nails actually, I tried growing them out once, I hated it with a passion) It is great to have someone help. I slip into it, and I am like "Okay one more little flap of skin... one more flap of skin..."
However, I do admit to taking my recent stress out on a toe... its nail is nearly gone. *sigh* All in good time, hubby pulled the tweezers from my hands. I am working on taking my out my stress in other ways. Violent video games help sometimes

I don't want to say I've never bothered my toes, but sometimes, when there's loose skin down there after showering, I clip it off with nail clippers and it just kind of snowballs. Honestly, if my skin didn't do that, I'd never even touch them. gonk Same goes with my fingers.

[P O O F felice_xD]

Oh crap.

I do almost the same thing...

I also used to pull out my hair so much, and then scratch my scalp and dig into it and I actually had a bit of an indent in it...

I am resisting the urge to do so even as I type...

I have a cat, and he lets me pet him so much, so my hands are distracted.

[Beyond Terror]

Wow, I didn't even know what I did had a name, if it's really the same thing. See, I pick at what others perceive as virtually invisible bumps/spots on my face and neck most often when I'm bored, not stressed/anxious (even though it's happened as well). I can't stand my skin being un-smooth so I'll just scratch away anything that stands out. A couple of moments and I'm bleeding all over. It makes me gag when I recall, back when I was in elementary school, this behavior led to my face being full of infected scabs, that I couldn't stand having on my face, so I'd just pick at them again and again and turn them into gaping, bleeding, even more infected holes. gonk Good thing my face is less... bumpy? nowadays, or I'd probably repeat everything I did back then.

[P O O F felice_xD]

Beyond Terror

Wow, I didn't even know what I did had a name, if it's really the same thing. See, I pick at what others perceive as virtually invisible bumps/spots on my face and neck most often when I'm bored, not stressed/anxious (even though it's happened as well). I can't stand my skin being un-smooth so I'll just scratch away anything that stands out. A couple of moments and I'm bleeding all over. It makes me gag when I recall, back when I was in elementary school, this behavior led to my face being full of infected scabs, that I couldn't stand having on my face, so I'd just pick at them again and again and turn them into gaping, bleeding, even more infected holes. gonk Good thing my face is less... bumpy? nowadays, or I'd probably repeat everything I did back then.

Hon, I've been there too!

Except my face is uber smooth, It's my hands, arms, and legs, pubic areas. Only my shoulders, face, lowwer back, neck, and stomach is free.

Damn, one time, I saw this yellowish bump IN my palm, so in the middle of class, I finally picked, and picked and picked, until I found it was a small white ball of bodily s**t... Yeah... ew.

but the blood tastes good!

Yes, I love the taste of my own blood.

[kage no neko]

This makes me think I have a problem! sweatdrop

I randomly pick at my eyebrows.
I'm constantly picking at the skin on my lips.
I used to pick at my moles really bad. I have one that I picked at until it turned purple. Now it doesn't have a color at all..
I have like.. two rough spots on my feet which I sometimes end up clipping or filing until they're almost bloody. I know it doesn't help any, but I can't stop once I start doing it..

[kage no neko]

P O O F felice_xD

Beyond Terror

Wow, I didn't even know what I did had a name, if it's really the same thing. See, I pick at what others perceive as virtually invisible bumps/spots on my face and neck most often when I'm bored, not stressed/anxious (even though it's happened as well). I can't stand my skin being un-smooth so I'll just scratch away anything that stands out. A couple of moments and I'm bleeding all over. It makes me gag when I recall, back when I was in elementary school, this behavior led to my face being full of infected scabs, that I couldn't stand having on my face, so I'd just pick at them again and again and turn them into gaping, bleeding, even more infected holes. gonk Good thing my face is less... bumpy? nowadays, or I'd probably repeat everything I did back then.

Hon, I've been there too!

Except my face is uber smooth, It's my hands, arms, and legs, pubic areas. Only my shoulders, face, lowwer back, neck, and stomach is free.

Damn, one time, I saw this yellowish bump IN my palm, so in the middle of class, I finally picked, and picked and picked, until I found it was a small white ball of bodily s**t... Yeah... ew.

but the blood tastes good!

Yes, I love the taste of my own blood.

It might've been a wart?
I had one and I picked at it until the whole thing just plopped out, then 2 seconds later the hole filled with blood and took forever to stop bleeding.

[Th3_Thr3ad_Kill3r]

Beyond Terror

Wow, I didn't even know what I did had a name, if it's really the same thing. See, I pick at what others perceive as virtually invisible bumps/spots on my face and neck most often when I'm bored, not stressed/anxious (even though it's happened as well). I can't stand my skin being un-smooth so I'll just scratch away anything that stands out. A couple of moments and I'm bleeding all over. It makes me gag when I recall, back when I was in elementary school, this behavior led to my face being full of infected scabs, that I couldn't stand having on my face, so I'd just pick at them again and again and turn them into gaping, bleeding, even more infected holes. gonk Good thing my face is less... bumpy? nowadays, or I'd probably repeat everything I did back then.

I had a noticeable bald spot in elementary school. Unfortunately, when I hit puberty, I started picking my skin too.

[LilPinkCandy]

i nail bite alot... it used to be worse when i was younger- i would even bite the sides of my fingers and then they would bleed. i desperately try to get my nails even and i bite and bite until they are even... which they never are gonk
i bite and pick at the skin between my left pointer and my thumb... no matter how much lotion i apply... it doesn't go away and so i end up picking at it. i do it subconsciously i think... sweatdrop
i dunno if i have a disorder... though i don't pull out my hair. if my head is itchy though i scratch and sometimes it bleeds... usually if that happens its dandruff and i just shower and then its all good. sweatdrop
the nail biting kills me though...

[Th3_Thr3ad_Kill3r]

LilPinkCandy

i nail bite alot... it used to be worse when i was younger- i would even bite the sides of my fingers and then they would bleed. i desperately try to get my nails even and i bite and bite until they are even... which they never are gonk
i bite and pick at the skin between my left pointer and my thumb... no matter how much lotion i apply... it doesn't go away and so i end up picking at it. i do it subconsciously i think... sweatdrop
i dunno if i have a disorder... though i don't pull out my hair. if my head is itchy though i scratch and sometimes it bleeds... usually if that happens its dandruff and i just shower and then its all good. sweatdrop
the nail biting kills me though...

I never bite my nails, but I do bite the skin around them. It's -really- painful but when I don't have nail clippers to take care of it, all I can do is chew it off. DX

*sigh*

[kage no neko]

a-morose-innocence

LilPinkCandy

i nail bite alot... it used to be worse when i was younger- i would even bite the sides of my fingers and then they would bleed. i desperately try to get my nails even and i bite and bite until they are even... which they never are gonk
i bite and pick at the skin between my left pointer and my thumb... no matter how much lotion i apply... it doesn't go away and so i end up picking at it. i do it subconsciously i think... sweatdrop
i dunno if i have a disorder... though i don't pull out my hair. if my head is itchy though i scratch and sometimes it bleeds... usually if that happens its dandruff and i just shower and then its all good. sweatdrop
the nail biting kills me though...

I never bite my nails, but I do bite the skin around them. It's -really- painful but when I don't have nail clippers to take care of it, all I can do is chew it off. DX

*sigh*

I bite the skin around mine too. But I bite my nails when they're already cracked..

[Th3_Thr3ad_Kill3r]

kage no neko

a-morose-innocence

LilPinkCandy

i nail bite alot... it used to be worse when i was younger- i would even bite the sides of my fingers and then they would bleed. i desperately try to get my nails even and i bite and bite until they are even... which they never are gonk
i bite and pick at the skin between my left pointer and my thumb... no matter how much lotion i apply... it doesn't go away and so i end up picking at it. i do it subconsciously i think... sweatdrop
i dunno if i have a disorder... though i don't pull out my hair. if my head is itchy though i scratch and sometimes it bleeds... usually if that happens its dandruff and i just shower and then its all good. sweatdrop
the nail biting kills me though...

I never bite my nails, but I do bite the skin around them. It's -really- painful but when I don't have nail clippers to take care of it, all I can do is chew it off. DX

*sigh*

I bite the skin around mine too. But I bite my nails when they're already cracked..

See, I keep my nails super short when I clip them. I've never chewed them. But my brother bites his nails all the time. But I don't think he does it to the point where it's a problem.

My nails are really weak so it just feels weird when I try to bite them anyway. >_<

[Kether Taninniver]

I've had dermatillomania since I was three. I can remember being that age and actually wanting bits of skin on my finger to dry up and die so I could rip them off. I would also rip skin off of my toes, going so far as to taking nail clippers and cutting out huge chunks of skin, which made it painful to walk. I would also rip skin off of my lips and scalp. Now, I mainly just rip the skin off my fingers (which are all scarred of course), to the point where they bleed. I must go through five to eight bandaids a week. It's embarrassing because people always ask me what happened to my fingers, and I avoid telling them that I ripped them up.

[Wolfey Fireborn]

*hugs my cyber sis* Amorose you are beautiful outside and in you dont need to feel insecure in your looks! The rest of you that have your pics in your sigs the same goes for yall!

[Th3_Thr3ad_Kill3r]

Wolfey Fireborn

*hugs my cyber sis* Amorose you are beautiful outside and in you dont need to feel insecure in your looks! The rest of you that have your pics in your sigs the same goes for yall!

whee Thanks Wolfey! *hugs*

And I do agree, everyone I've seen a picture of looks just fine to me. 3nodding

[Th3_Thr3ad_Kill3r]

kage no neko

a-morose-innocence

LilPinkCandy

i nail bite alot... it used to be worse when i was younger- i would even bite the sides of my fingers and then they would bleed. i desperately try to get my nails even and i bite and bite until they are even... which they never are gonk
i bite and pick at the skin between my left pointer and my thumb... no matter how much lotion i apply... it doesn't go away and so i end up picking at it. i do it subconsciously i think... sweatdrop
i dunno if i have a disorder... though i don't pull out my hair. if my head is itchy though i scratch and sometimes it bleeds... usually if that happens its dandruff and i just shower and then its all good. sweatdrop
the nail biting kills me though...

I never bite my nails, but I do bite the skin around them. It's -really- painful but when I don't have nail clippers to take care of it, all I can do is chew it off. DX

*sigh*

I bite the skin around mine too. But I bite my nails when they're already cracked..

This is a bit off-topic, but I love your contacts. :3