Having problems with my dermatillomania. Does anyone have ideas to help me stop?

I don’t know much about it but I feel for you. Is there something causing you undue stress lately? Removing or reducing the cause of that stress or dealing with the fallout through meditation or relaxation techniques might help.

Short-term suggestions… wear gloves? Distract yourself with something that takes all of your attention. Do something that uses both hands, like knitting.

But yeah… a long-term solution will have to be some way of dealing with the issue itself.

@AshLeigh What do you think is behind this? Any ideas at all?

@Adirondackwannabe, I am about to break up with my boyfriend of a year and a half. The nightmares about Asher have come back. Graduation is right around the corner, and I am working on getting scholarships, so I have a lot of tests coming up. My mothers drug dealer ex boyfriend got out of jail on Saturday.
I am stressed.

I had never heard of this,, @AshLeigh. Sometimes things just happen for a reason. I know someone who may have this disorder. Thank you for opening up and posting here or I would have never looked it up. I’m sending her some information about it now.

I know that doesn’t help you at the moment. But I want to say thanks for being so brave. <3

Are you doing this to like scabs? When I catch my daughter doing this I coat the area in neosporin and put an oversize bandage over it. If I give it a chance to heal she stops.

Not a GA but there isn’t anything else. I knew you had a lot of stressors going on, but I didn’t realize all this was happening. I’d just put my head down and run into a wall so I lost consciousness. Don’t try that. It could hurt you long term What can I do to help lady?

Not scabs.
@Adirondackwannabe, believe it or not you help very often. Thanks.

I found another site that gives the following information.

Cognitive-behavior therapy has been studied as a means of treating Dermatillomania and related disorders. Therapy may involve several different techniques, outlined below:

Habit Reversal Training (HRT) is a four-step process that teaches the person with Dermatillomania how to relax, how to breathe and feel centered, and to perform muscle response exercises. HRT includes self-monitoring and stimulus control (described below), and social support.

Self-Monitoring is making the person suffering Dermatillomania more aware of their behaviors. Dermatillomania behavior can often be unconscious; awareness can be improved by starting a log of picking behaviors. The very act of recording the behavior can also interrupt the process and reduce the picking.

Stimulus Control (SC) is a behavioral treatment that helps Dermatillomania sufferers identify and eliminate, avoid, or change the environmental factors, moods, or circumstances that trigger picking. The goal is to consciously control these triggers and create new connections between the urges and non-destructive behaviors.

For example, if Dermatillomania happens alone, the person is encouraged to spend more time with others. If the picking occurs in front of a mirror, the person may be asked to cover the mirrors in their home.

Competing Response is a technique designed to give the person an alternative to picking. This can include fidget toys, knitting, beading, or other activities to keep the hands busy.

Online Dermatillomania Support Groups. Some of these support groups use the 12-step Alcoholics Anonymous program to help people to “quit” picking. Links to some of these sites will be provided below.
Hotlines:

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) 1–800-950-NAMI (6264)

Redirect your attention. Find something to do with your hands, try relaxation, the key is to really get your stress under control.
I have OCD and I’m a picker, so I understand how “simple” that sounds but how hard it can be to do. But, without a doubt, stress flares up my symptoms and I would not be surprised that your current stress levels are playing a part in driving you to this coping mechanism.

I’m a picker too. Mine is a matter of not letting myself pick by holding something in my hands, like a paper clip, a small stone or a piece of fabric . . . something my fingers can touch and move over. The problem seems more to do with my fingers wanting to move over a surface. The skin doesn’t look to be picked; my fingers want to pick at something. See if it works for you.

@Sunny2, thank you. I will try that.

@AshLeigh How many times have I told you: DON’T DO THAT! :-)

You’ve never told me that, Grandpa…

What works for me is an anti-allergy pill in the morning. Or whenever I scratch.