by September 14th, 2008. Filed under: Relieve Stress and Anxiety.
http://www.paulrobinett.com
This video may be disturbing to most but I can assure you that it is a real condition for thousands of people like myself who suffer alone. This video is an attempt to bring some awareness and understanding to this silent but real disorder that I’m sure has a name… I just don’t know what it is.
UPDATE:
Thanks to YouTube user “hanako” I have found out what I suffer from: Sometimes referred to as compulsive skin picking, dermatillomania is marked by the overwhelming compulsion to pick at one’s own skin. Along with trichotillomania, or compulsive hair pulling, and onychophagia, or nail-biting, dermatillomania falls into a category of impulse control disorders known as body focused repetitive behaviors. Frequently, the urge to pick is so strong that sufferers may cause extensive damage to their skin.
People with dermatillomania frequently focus on pre-existing lesions on the skin, such as scabs, ingrown hairs, or insect bites. Because of this, they may cause further damage and scarring to the affected area. Many sufferers report that the picking seems to relieve stress or anxiety for the time being.
In some cases, individuals with dermatillomania may be compelled to create surfaces at which to pick. Because of this, dermatillomania is sometimes accompanied by self-injury, or the practice of deliberately inflicting physical harm on oneself. Patients will then pick the resulting scab or wound.
While research in the area of dermatillomania is limited, the condition has been strongly linked to obsessive-compulsive disorder. People who suffer from both dermatillomania and obsessive-compulsive disorder may be very obsessive and ritualistic in their skin-care routines. Patients also frequently report entering a “trance-like” state during episodes of picking.
Many individuals with dermatillomania also suffer from body dysmorphic disorder (BDD), a psychological disorder in which patients experience a distorted body image. People with BDD typically become obsessed with a particular flaw in their appearance, although this flaw is usually non-existant or highly exaggerated by the patient. In this case, patients may feel that picking off scabs and lesions will make them appear more normal.
While the compulsion to pick at one’s own skin is extremely overwhelming, some sufferers have found successful treatment through cognitive-behavioral therapy. A psychological practice, cognitive-behavioral therapy focuses on recognizing destructive thoughts and behavior, then re-teaching the brain to cope in less destructive ways. In many cases, cognitive-behavioral therapy is most effective when combined with the use of mood-stabilizing medications.
Duration : 0:3:6
[youtube qOHPZbNZpig]
Filed under: Relieve Stress and Anxiety
September 14th, 2008 at
It makes a lot of …
It makes a lot of sense dude… a lot of sense. Especially the part about the ‘hurt’ being good.
September 14th, 2008 at
Last summer when I …
Last summer when I was home from school, my scalp healed perfectly, and I thought ‘I’m cured!’ The week before I went back, I was at it again. There’s some interesting research out there about this. I find it helps to read and hear about it. Thanks for the post. Good luck.
September 14th, 2008 at
i need to stop …
i need to stop myself from doing this its by my scalp it makes me feel like bad during school and i cant focus its a bad habit.
September 14th, 2008 at
same here dude most …
same here dude most ppl do that just to feel it or just want to pick it
September 14th, 2008 at
i have this and I …
i have this and I NEED to stop i have scars covering my body
September 14th, 2008 at
i have this
its …
i have this
its very very hard to explain
September 14th, 2008 at
I do that too. Not …
I do that too. Not as serious but it just feels good like something to do. When I fall or get injured in a way that I know that I’m gonna get a scab, the last couple times I’ve actually been excited and looked forward to picking it. For some reason it always seemed natural to me, but it always felt gross at the same time.
Ug, I’ve been watching all these vids and now I’m making a list of things wrong with me like this and OCD and mild touretts. My god
September 14th, 2008 at
major scars
major scars
September 14th, 2008 at
PS
try putting …
PS
try putting drops of superglue on your body somewhere like palm of hand etc and see if you can be satisfied by picking that off instead…that or bubble wrap might feed the need.lol
September 14th, 2008 at
too bad you aren’t …
too bad you aren’t a hair puller instead.you’d have no choice but to give that up, huh?lol. This is an extreme form of grooming instincts. not unlike a person who has to peel the paper off every beer or crayon or aluminum can they get their hands on.Most people have this instinct.i won’t pick at wounds until healed pretty well &ready to fall off,I love to peel those dry ones away when the flesh under it is healed over.Not so abnormal in general, but infection looms for U.
September 14th, 2008 at
dude I love to pick …
dude I love to pick scabs I’ve been doing it for since I was a freaking kid. I like to see the fresh blood underneath the scab as it’s freshley picked lol it stings so good
September 14th, 2008 at
this is as a real …
this is as a real disease as anger and happiness i mean come on its not really a disease its just a OCD that u can eassily stop doing, but stil why whould you post a video about it and make people look at you doing it its just…you might as well tape yourself everyday eating ice or watching TV to prove a point of an OCD
September 14th, 2008 at
yeah! it feels …
yeah! it feels soothing when you peel it off and the skin under it feels all cold and nice
September 14th, 2008 at
You aren’t alone …
You aren’t alone man, I’ve been fighting similar issues for a long time. The only thing that works is therapy, combined with medication for obsessive compulsive disorder.
September 14th, 2008 at
I can understand …
I can understand why people do this. I don’t pick scabs but sometimes i feel like cutting myself, I never do it. I end up smoking and drinking coffee…I guess its just a way for finding release. Don’t feel bad…All of us have something crazy that we have to deal with. Oh, i do actually pull back the cuticle on my thumb sometimes, and it does feel good….weird hu?
September 14th, 2008 at
i’ve always picked …
i’ve always picked my scabs n lips, idk why, it’s just natural to me, i don’t see a problem with it
September 14th, 2008 at
yeah i have the …
yeah i have the same problem except its with my lips, like if i feel a piece hangin out i wait till my lips get extremely dry and i tear it off with my fingers or my teeth. btw i stopped pickin my scabs at 7 when i had this bicyle fall and the scab was so hard and large i had to pull it off and now i have the blackest elbows
September 14th, 2008 at
If you look closely …
If you look closely at his “scab” you will notice that it is a latex scab that you can buy at any halloween novelty store that is spirit gummed onto his arm and done up with some nice effects make up. I have the exact same latex scab and plenty more of them.
September 14th, 2008 at
Well, I only pick a …
Well, I only pick a scab if the wound is old. If you pick the scab of a fresh wound it hurts like but if you pick an old it hurts some but in a good way like you say. I suggest you find something else to do to break the “habit”, like put a plaster on and put a note near your screen saying “Dont pick the scab!” It’s just for you own good since you will get permanent scars if you keep doing that, and thats ugly.
September 14th, 2008 at
Dermatillomania …
Dermatillomania Causes and treatments
The inability to control the urge to pick is similar to trichotillomania.Recent research suggests that, like trichotillomania, dermatillomania may be an impulse control disorder. This is part of the obsessive compulsive disorder spectrum.
Some sufferers feel that “picking off” pimples or skin abnormalities may rid them of these flaws and help them look more “normal.”
September 14th, 2008 at
I picked my skin …
I picked my skin since I was a child who was sexually abused.
September 14th, 2008 at
No matter how …
No matter how disgusting that is, I have the same problem. This sounds totatlly nasty, but I had a blister on my heel and once it scabbed, i started picking of the dead skin and peeled it all off. It hurt but it was great!
September 14th, 2008 at
I do and don’t pick …
I do and don’t pick my scabs.
I’ve figured the more you leave a scab on and allow it to fall off on its own, the less scar tissue is visible, for the County Jail to waste my time in documenting.
September 14th, 2008 at
i pick and pop my …
i pick and pop my acne and i cant stop, its soo hard
September 14th, 2008 at
I am so glad you …
I am so glad you made thisvideo…I greatly understand how it feel to pick at my skin…I started when I was eight..Im seventeen now..I have been looking for reasons why…if there are others outthere…tryingto find help….Its actually become so bad, I make my own wounds …just to pick them……Its disgusting, but its sucha overwheling addiction. Thank you. Are there any morevideos like this, that you or someone you know of, have made..?