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always picking

4littleavengers

Hello how can i stop my daughter picking her skin till it bleeds she as lots of little scabs on her body she can't leave them alone . Her skins starting to scar i've noticed she picks more when shes feeling anxious we went to hosptal yesterday for blood tests she picked her skin non stop. At the hospital she had four areas numbed with cream this caused a melt down because she said her arms felt wet she screamed shouted and hit me several times when it came to actully having the blood test she was so calm which was a bit strange i expected her to panic.

  • Hi,

    I wondered if she may find popping bubble wrap bubbles a satisfying alternative to skin picking or some other small repetitive and compulsive activity that's safe. 

    Some other ideas;  picking stickers/sticky labels off of things (when at home, labels off of jars, milk bottles before they go in your recycling, address labels etc..)

    Also suggest her skin is kept well moisturised and you could see if she would accept wearing a pair of cotton gloves (Boots sells them. More difficult to pick through). 

    Hope you find some safer self soothing strategies that work for her. 

    X 

  • hello, I am a picker too. I have had sores that were active for 6 years because I could not leave them alone. Sometimes they only heal up because I have moved on to another area.  Some of these sores have developed from picking rough bits. I agree with Crystal about giving her something else to pick at even if it is putting plasters on for her to pick at. Get the ones for sensitve skin as they are less irritating, or try to distract her attention with doing something. It is an anxiety coping behaviour.

  • Hi again - it does sound like anxiety/ocd so it'll be difficult to deal with.  I used to know someone who picked at scabs.  If they had an elastoplast on they used to pick the elastoplast.  They tried to keep their nails very short so it wasn't so easy to pick.  They also tried to keep their skin as smooth/moisturised as possible so they weren't tempted by rough bits.  They still found it incredibly difficult not to pick.

  • Thank you so much for your replie. My little girls bites her nails till really sore and shes always bitting her lips when shes picking her scabs etc i don't think she realises shes doing it she often just stares into space. Sounds silly but some times i think she enjoys the pain when she falls over she just starts picking at her grazes. What could i give her to pick at? ive tried stress balls.

    Mel x

  • Hi - yes, sounds like she does it when stressed - also some of it may be habitual.  Is there anything else she could pick at?  Maybe you've tried things like that before.  It's difficult to keep things as stress free as possible all the time - real life regularly intervenes + upsets the apple cart.  All any of us can do is try + avoid stressors as much as possible.  I'm sure you're already doing that.  My son has bitten his finger nails for years.  He will, if seriously distressed, resort to self injurous behaviour.  So I do sympathise with you.  There might be (I don't know) info via the home page.  I hope others come along soon who may be more helpful than me.