Bad Habit Breaking....
 
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Bad Habit Breaking...need Advice!

MemberMember
1
(@dren0707)

Posted : 03/22/2015 5:17 pm

Ok so I have never met anyone that has the same problem as I do but I'm hoping for advice.

 

I am a picking addict. I do not know why but if I have a blemish I have to pick at it. This probably sounds weird but it's something I can not stop. It's a very very bad habit that is very very hard to break. I get told constantly how bad picking is for my skin and trust me I know. I have tried to stop multiple times but it only ends in failure and frustration. I don't know if it's a stress reliever or what. Whenever I see or feel a bump on my face, chest, or shoulder it bothers me constantly until I am at home and I am able to pick at it.

 

I feel the way to stop picking at my face is to not have acne but unfortunately I can't get rid of acne without stopping picking at it. So I was wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem and if so how did you overcome it? Also does anyone have any advice on how to break this habit?

 

I really want to stop but I need help. I am too embarrassed about it to tell anyone of my friends or family. I have tried but they don't understand that I can't just not do it. Uggghhh!

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MemberMember
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(@megtree)

Posted : 03/24/2015 1:09 pm

Ok so I have never met anyone that has the same problem as I do but I'm hoping for advice.

 

I am a picking addict. I do not know why but if I have a blemish I have to pick at it. This probably sounds weird but it's something I can not stop. It's a very very bad habit that is very very hard to break. I get told constantly how bad picking is for my skin and trust me I know. I have tried to stop multiple times but it only ends in failure and frustration. I don't know if it's a stress reliever or what. Whenever I see or feel a bump on my face, chest, or shoulder it bothers me constantly until I am at home and I am able to pick at it.

 

I feel the way to stop picking at my face is to not have acne but unfortunately I can't get rid of acne without stopping picking at it. So I was wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem and if so how did you overcome it? Also does anyone have any advice on how to break this habit?

 

I really want to stop but I need help. I am too embarrassed about it to tell anyone of my friends or family. I have tried but they don't understand that I can't just not do it. Uggghhh!

Hi! Actually, this is a rather common problem, there are various threads and stop picking logs you might look up on this site. A lot of people with acne tend to develop obsessive-compulsive tendencies revolving around picking. That being said, I understand how hard a habit it is to break.

There are a couple things you can do which might help break the habit. One- get rid of all picking utensils - blackhead removers, needles, and tweezers. Just take a deep breath, and throw them away all at once. If you need your eyebrows shaped, get them threaded or waxed but whatever you do, don't pluck them yourself. Avoid looking at your face or areas of your body that develop blemishes for long periods of time, aka - while putting on makeup or plucking eyebrows (which you shouldn't be doing anyway 'cause you got rid of the tweezers!).

If you tend to pick at home with your hands, try wearing gloves around the house or doing stuff to keep your hands busy (knitting or crochet is often recommended to distract from self-destructive urges). Also - you can try this trick. Get a rubber band (the kind you use to bind up papers you would find in an office) and wear it around your wrist. Every time you feel an urge to pick, snap yourself with the rubber band (not too hard! Just hard enough to sting a little). It sounds kind of harsh, but the momentary pain is sometimes enough to snap your brain out of that obsessive thought cycle.

Just know that you aren't alone - it IS a really hard habit to break, but you CAN break it. Good luck! :)

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MemberMember
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(@dren0707)

Posted : 03/24/2015 3:12 pm

Thanks for your response :) I'm not sure about throwing away my tweezers I have to keep these brows under control. I will definitely try the rubber band trick though. Thanks so much!!!

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MemberMember
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(@dren0707)

Posted : 03/25/2015 10:37 pm

Ughhhhh I feel so stupid!! My acne was finally on its way out and I just picked the crap out of it!! I think I have discovered my picking is directly related to stress. I just had a job interview today for an opening I've been wanting for years and I had a big fight with my boy friend. As I was brushing my teeth I started to really look at my skin. I began to notice all the imperfections and became really sad because I had thought I was making large strides to improvement. It is hard for me that I can't just have beautiful skin over night. Of course while brushing my teeth I had taken my rubber band off for the night ( a mistake I won't make again) and i started picking and squeezing.

 

I really don't know how the act of ruining my skin has become a stress reliever for me. I know I need to stop and I am more determined than ever knowing that my skin was so close to clearing up. I really need to work on myself. I CAN DO THIS!!!!

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(@megtree)

Posted : 03/26/2015 12:42 pm

Hi - That is really hard, stress can definitely be a trigger! I am sorry you are going through so much right now. It sounds like you need to be preemptive with your battle against picking. You need a more structured strategy. Do you find yourself picking more at night while you're getting ready for bed? If so, try to do things like washing your face, brushing your teeth, etc. at the kitchen sink (or in front of a sink with no mirror). Alternatively, turn off the lights in your bathroom while you get ready for bed so you can't see your face in the mirror well enough to see any imperfections. You can plug in a night-light or small lamp to keep from tripping over yourself. The key to all of it is realizing that will power really isn't enough, you have to remove the temptations and the triggers as much as possible.

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(@veronikavanquish)

Posted : 03/26/2015 3:28 pm

I have the same problem. Whenever I feel out of control about something, off to the bathroom I go. I started getting whiteheads last year, and I picked at them, and so ofcourse they spread, and now they are all over my face. And I still can't stop. I try to wash my face in the kitchen sink where there is no mirror (my bathroom has the HARSHEST natural lighting ever), but lets face it you can't keep a clean kitchen 24/7 so often I wind up in the bathroom, and as soon as I see something game over. I even do it when I have company over. It actually makes me feel insane.

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MemberMember
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(@dren0707)

Posted : 03/26/2015 10:23 pm

I will try the lights off idea because I only pick at my face before bed. I find it hardest to resist when doing things like washing my face, brushing my teeth, or brushing my hair. I really need to do my best to stay away from a mirror and not let my fingers linger over my face. That's what really gets me, when I let my fingers touch my face and they find a bump. Then I can't stop thinking about it until I pop it.

 

Sunday is when I start my new skin care routine. I am going to follow this very strictly and be very careful to not pick at my face because prom is in a month. I really want clear skin for it. I'm giving my self the challenge of not picking my face until prom, starting Tomorrow. I will keep track of my progress in a personal log entitled No more Picking. If I try hard I know I can do it!

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MemberMember
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(@megtree)

Posted : 05/21/2015 1:01 pm

Mod edit- Topic moved to skin picking forum

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