Self Mutilation

I came across questions on self mutilation etc for children, nothing on adults.  I hope its not inappropriate for me to ask the question here because it applies to an adult.

I am a 40 yr old attractive and intelligent woman.  yet for as long as remember, i've been picking on the skin of my feet and scalp AND eating the skin that was torn.

I have athletes foot so the skin tends to crack anyway and i
make it worse by tearing off the skin with my hands. It doesnt alway tear to bleed but sometimes it does.  On my scalp i have a scalp problem (probably also fungal related) and same thing, i scratch it till it bleeds, when i am picking in my mind is the intend to tear as large a 'piece' as possible and inevitably i
put it in my mouth and i need to feel it against my tongue rather than swallow it.

It all sounds terribly disgusting i know but i have been struggling with this inside me for years!  when i recently came across an article on self mutilation in a magazine i realised i was not the only one who did this but i want to stop and i really would like to know what is it IN me that makes me want to do this?
Self mutilation is one thing, what does the act of putting the skin in my mouth signify?

I would prefer not to take any drugs, i am currently trying out St. John's wort but thats just once in a while.  Maybe if i understood the psychological aspect, i could work on those issues?  I have been doing a lot of 'inner work' for the past 5 years, i thought by now this would have taken care of itself.

I apologise for the long posting, its just like a 'God Send' that i found someplace to ask this quetion.
Thank you.

[Kevin Kennedy, Ph.D.]

Dear May,

One of the Forums operated by MedHelp.org (which operates this Forum) is the Mental Health Forum, and you can address the question there.

Self-mutilating behavior can cut across diagnostic categories - in other words, it's not behavior that is typical of a particular diagnosis. It can be identified in people with Mood Disorders, Personality Disorders, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders, etc. A thorough diagnostic workup is needed to pinpoint this, and I would urge you to pursue professional help and not try to solve this on your own.

If you seek help, one of the issues you can discuss is medication. Medication can be quite useful in such situations, but the particular medication would depend on a thorough understanding of the condition.