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Compulsive Skin Picking in Autism

IntenseWorld

My eldest daughter has this really bad, I also do it and so does my youngest.  They didn't copy it from me because I never did it in front of them, it was self-initiated.  I believe there is a strong correlation between CSP and autism, like there is in OCD behaviours.  Just wanted to see if any others on the spectrum have this.

Parents

  • This thread is so interesting! I've always been a "picker", and over the past couple of years I've started to wonder if I have Asperger's Syndrome (I'm sure my 11 year old son is autistic, but he hasn't been diagnosed yet).

    I just can't resist picking if I have a scab or an area of dry skin, to the point that I sometimes cause a mild infection due to never letting the skin heal properly. I didn't realise this is linked to autism.

    I don't know if it is linked to anxiety in me; it's just a strong habit I've get into. I also comb my fingers through my hair a lot (with gentle pulling) to release loose hairs, and I'm very fidgety (swing my leg if I have crossed legs, rub my feet together etc). I put it down to a kind of "nervous energy" rather than anxiety as such.

Reply

  • This thread is so interesting! I've always been a "picker", and over the past couple of years I've started to wonder if I have Asperger's Syndrome (I'm sure my 11 year old son is autistic, but he hasn't been diagnosed yet).

    I just can't resist picking if I have a scab or an area of dry skin, to the point that I sometimes cause a mild infection due to never letting the skin heal properly. I didn't realise this is linked to autism.

    I don't know if it is linked to anxiety in me; it's just a strong habit I've get into. I also comb my fingers through my hair a lot (with gentle pulling) to release loose hairs, and I'm very fidgety (swing my leg if I have crossed legs, rub my feet together etc). I put it down to a kind of "nervous energy" rather than anxiety as such.

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