I pick at my thumb all day.....

[aloneathome]

Hello folks....
I have been picking splinters form one of my thumbs for about the last 7 years or so....it's exhausting and drains all my energy....i pick and pick and pick until it bleeds and then i put a bandaid on it and start picking away at the bandaid....usually last about 5 minutes and the bandaid is picked off...i just cant stop doing it...when i do it i am off into another world and cannot hear or see things going on around me....does anyone have any suggestions or tips to help me quit doing this?
Big Thanks

 

[Daniel E.]

Did you see a psychiatrist and a therapist about this already?

If the professionals said the behavior was due to OCD, your best bet is probably therapy (CBT, including behavior therapy) combined with medications. I would also read the book Brain Lock, which details a 4-step plan for combating OCD. I would also recommend daily exercise if you aren't doing that already since exercise can significantly reduce anxiety (OCD being one form of anxiety).

An alternative behavior to skin picking is the use of worry beads/stones:

Repetitive behaviors such as curling your hair around a finger, rocking in a rocking chair, rosiery beads or worry stones as well as any other behaviors (even nail biting) "activates" the release of Serotonin, which helps one relax by lowering anxiety. I had one client who bit her fingernails and I asked her if she could use a worry stone instead. She has been using it since without biting a nail.

Chronic skin picking - Psychlinks

 

[aloneathome]

thanks for the advise i will see about reading more about it....
i have never seen a therapist and i dont plan to anytime soon just trying to find help for myself through this means....

 

[aloneathome]

just wanted to add here that through the link that Daniel gave me above I managed to find another forum just for people with this particular problem...it was a great read and very helpfull....Big thanks Daniel and I think I will try the worrie stones first.....

 

[David Baxter PhD]

I always think of Daniel as that Encyclopedia Brown character in the TV show. The man is amazing.