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I'm sorry to hear about your hospitalization! Keep it up Paige, if you can make it through one day you can make it through two! I know what you mean about post-picking picking, it's really difficult to stop once you've started. I think keeping my hands busy and staying away from mirrors as much as possible has been my saving grace in the past. I also noticed I do alot of my picking at night (I usually avoided it in the morning because I didn't want to go through the whole day with seeping wound on my face), so I kept as busy as I could at night, and tried to give myself a limited time to get ready for bed (i.e., during commercials for favorite TV shows etc.). Good luck!
Paige, I'm sorry you were in the hospital recently. That must've been really rough, but at least you're out now!
This does show how far you've come, actually. It shows that you have enough self-control to where you won't pick on a normal day, but actually had to almost be pushed to it by pain and stress. It doesn't excuse it obviously, but just don't beat yourself up about it.
It always takes me FOREVER to get past day one. I honestly still haven't made it past a real day one yet. So, tomorrow is my new day one (I feel like I may have said this before... just maybe lol), but my new goal is to just go two days without picking, because the real issue, it seems, is just getting through day one.
Paige - I'm glad you are feeling better. Don't beat yourself up over it. I'm still impressed you can go that long without picking 
I'm with you Jane. The hardest part is getting past day one. I'm still trying. I have yet to have a full day one. I've had a half a day (I usually pick right after my showers in the AM and PM). Something has to give for me to stop, I just cant see it.
stress of the holidays Is not helping and my dry winter skin is making me break out more. plus I started a new birth control which is supposed to help with hormonal acne but like any medication, it takes a few cycles for your body to get use to it. I have to keep reminding myself that it's just IBO and it'll subside soon (crossing fingers). My husband says it's not that bad but obviously I'm a perfectionist and one is too many. ugg.
thanks for the support guys and gals
I relate so much to your situation Paige. I can't not pick at a whitehead that resulted from picking the day before either. My reasoning is that I already picked and caused redness, might as well finish the job. I'd love to join in with you guys. It's so comforting hearing other people overcoming this.
I stopped extreme picking on thanksgiving. I caused this huge hyperpigmentation mark on my neck and I was just done. It's still there. The problem is, my focus immediately redirected to my nose too! I have so many blackheads that always come back, but I squeeze away anyway because they're so dark and I just get overwhelmed wanting them out! I always hope the pores will finally close up and stop reclogging. My nose and the skin surrounding it looks so much better when I get rid of them, but now I have little wrinkles on my nose from doing it too much. I did it yesterday so this is day one.
It's definitely sometimes a nervous habit, so I understand why the stress of the pain/hospitalization triggered you. I've read about it a long time ago, how grooming is calming to the brain and settles us into a haze that is comforting. That's how I feel when I do it anyway, zoned out and calm. Until I snap back and see what's been done. Like Nancy said, being a perfectionist doesn't help lol.
Merry Christmas to anyone who is celebrating today.
Merry Christmas! I've been picking a lot lately, mostly because of stress. I had an appendectomy and colon resection back in september/october and I'm having some complications from that which has been very stressful for me. I also have not been able to exercise which causes me to have some build up nervous energy. When you guys feel like picking you should try exercising instead! It helps me,
Sooo....today will have to be day one for me again too.
Wow, so many people are getting behind you Paige! We're all gonna quit together eventually! 
I'm sorry about all those medical complications though. I'll be praying for you.
Kay, I totally agree with you about the whole "oh well too late now... may as well just go at it some more" way of thinking. I guess we just have to start thinking: "Oh gosh look what I already did... better not make it worse." or something like that idk
Anyway, I wanna say that I finally made a whole day the day before yesterday! I did, unfortunately, pick yesterday though so I didn't make two days, but I've found that my face cleared up considerably just from that one day of not touching it! That in itself makes it much easier not to pick, so I'm starting a new day one tomorrow and I'm gonna make it to day two... for real guys.
I totally picked the living daylights out of my face today, which is really upsetting because I've gone the past week with only picking slightly on my day two's. 
BUT that just means I can't pick tomorrow and I've done it before so I just have to do my day 1 again. Nancy, like you said we've all be pretty positive, so I just gotta keep on keepin on.
Also Nancy, the easiest advice I can give is that at night just don't look in your mirror at all. Keep your toothpaste and toothbrush in or next to the tub/shower and you won't have to look at it at all. When you're done with your shower go straight to bed! I used to do that actually, so I guess I'll start it up again too.
Hey guys! I have sort of fallen off the no picking bandwagon lately because I got a skin fungal infection due to a bunch of antibiotics I've been on for recent medical issues. The fungal infection has caused a bunch of itchy pustules (like whiteheads) on my legs, chest, back, and even on my face. It's not that bad, but it has been bad enough that it has interfered with my no picking efforts. I have a derm appointment on Monday and hopefully it'll start clearing up shortly after that. Overall I am still picking much less than I was before. I've also been regularly doing TCA peels and I think they give me incentive not to pick because if I destroy my face with a picking session I can't do a TCA peel. The peels also really help with clogs.
Jane3, it is really great to hear that you went a week only picking slightly! Think of that as a positive thing!
I've really fallen off the no picking wagon. The other day I picked some clogs on my face and now I have three nasty looking scabs. My face looks so bad from picking I didn't want to go to work or see my boyfriend. I hate feeling like this so I'm going to really try this no picking thing again. I will be starting accutane soon so I feel like that will give me extra incentive because a picked spot is much slower to heal on accutane.
Hey Paige...wow, sorry to hear about the fungal infection and other medical issues causing stress and getting in the way of your progress. I know you'll get right back in the saddle, though!
Try not to beat yourself up over picking blackheads. When you have a skin condition that causes your body to produce sebumy matter that doesn't belong in your pores, it's hard not to feel compelled to remove it. Years of picking has taught me that there's a difference between productive picking and non-productive picking, and it can be beneficial to allow yourself some "productive picking," such as removing an ugly blackhead that will only stretch out your pore in the long run, or worse, inflame and leave a nasty scar. It's the non-productive kind you want to work hard to avoid...the zit-popping sessions after a stressful day, the forcing a zit that isn't ready, the squeezing and squeezing fruitlessly at cysts hoping to make them smaller and causing more damage than good, the digging at a scab or a cyst until there's a huge hole. But picking a blackhead that needed to come out anyway...I wouldn't beat yourself up over that. Hope this helps put things in perspective a little. 