Chronic skin picking

[David Baxter PhD]

What is it that worries you about medications, dainja?

 

[dainja]

skin picking

Well David, to be perfectly honest, it is the side effects that worries me the most, i mean i'm not depressed, just have a lot of anxiety, so i don't need to be treated for depression you know what i mean..... i don't like taking pills but like you were saying, Luvox could help.... i'd like to get more info on that if possible....

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Try looking up fluvoxamine at RxList - The Internet Drug Index for prescription drug information, interactions, and side effects but don't be overly alarmed about the possible side-effects listed - to put it in perspective, look at the list of possible side-effects some day for things like aspirin and tylenol.

See also my blog entry on the issue: Making Sense of Medication Side Effects.

Luvox, in my experience, seems to be particularly effective for treating anxiety and compulsive or obsessive-compulsive symptoms and it is for most people less likely to cause objectionable side-effects. One caution: Some recent research here in Ottawa showed that the brand name version is important and that the generic is much less effective.

 

[dainja]

thanks for the info, i will be checking out the site for Fluvoxamine do you suggest i go to my GP with this issue or i should just go to a therapist of some kind? What kind of doctor can help me with this? It feels kind of weird talking about it so openly, finally, someone who understands......

 

[David Baxter PhD]

In Canada, only a medical doctor (physician or psychiatrist) can prescribe medications. Your GP should be fine - these are not difficult medications to monitor.

I would however suggest that seeing a therapist who has experience in anxiety disorders and compulsive disorders, preferablt with a background in cognitive behavior therapy, would also be useful for you.

 

[dainja]

thanks a lot for all your help Dr. David, i appreciate it a lot, you are the first person to actually help me with this issue, again thanks a lot for all your help, i will be contacting my GP asap and maybe have him put me on that medication, i mean i can try it hopefully it's gonna go fine, and i will stop picking at my fingers.....

 

[David Baxter PhD]

Good luck, dainja.

 

[dainja]

Dr. Baxter, i just have a quick question.... is what i have considered OCD or not, from what i can read nobody seem to be sure, if it's more an anxiety disorder or OCD? there is a lot of different opinions out there.....is neurotic excoriation the medical term for it?

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I'm not sure and I don't try to diagnose people from forum posts alone. To me, it sounds more like compulsive behavior plus an anxiety disorder at first glance. But the exact diagnosis isn't that critical since the medications and psychotherapy approaches I'm suggesting would be effective for the symptoms regardless of the actual diagnosis.

 

[dainja]

Thanks Dr. Baxter, you are right when you say that you don't diagnose people on a forum and i understand... Thanks for the treatment suggestion, i'll keep you posted