Scaly picking, OCD anxiety, and ADD

[mburg_adam]

A few months ago, I was diagnosed with ADD and OCD. I am a college sophomore with much potential. However, when I started looking deeper within this diagnosis and discovered things I did which others saw and I didn't: I was astonished. Picking the scalp has seemingly run in my family- my sister picked her scalp throughout elementary school due to stress, which is what I am reasoning my scalping picking to, as well as the anxiety that follows ADD. I have experienced ADD and anxiety throughout my life, however the scalp picking, not so much. I only had a brief encounter with it in middle school, although it is returning in full force.

I am on Adderall, which had worked very well with the ADD. I am much more focused, however I do not sleep much, which was still a problem without the Adderall.

I feel like a lot of it is psychological, and I know you yourself can easily control your own brain. I hate being on medication, and I wish I was powerful enough to "fix" this myself, holistically.

What I am wondering is if there is anything or anyone I can talk too about the anxiety of dealing with this new "obsession" of hair/scalp picking, and ADD, as well as a few other minor details about my life. I feel like I am at a road block in a never ending cycle;  thank you for your input!

[alldaydaydreamer]

hey there

i am a freshmen in highschool, i have a lot of potential also, i get straight A's and will solve ANY puzzle that is thrown my way! i googled about my own obsessive scalp picking and this was the first thing that came up! two years ago i was also diagnosed with ADD and have been given Vyvance, it helps ALOT! but unfortunatly i figit ALOT. and picking my scalp is a habit i have aquired! I find myself now doing it simply out of habit, and i am also a sleepwalker so i do it in my sleep too! while i can't control it when i sleep, i find a simple inexpencive solution was to go to a dollar store and pick a bunch of stress balls and keep my hands busy with that. it's worked wonders for me! i always keep one with me! try this you might be surprised when it works!

[JGF25]

Hi there and welcome to the OCD forum.  

You mentioned being diagnosed with ADD and OCD.  Who diagnosed you?  Your general physician or a psychologist?  It looks to me that you are treating the ADD but not the OCD.  The next step is to see a psychologist if you are not already and start getting treatment for the OCD.  You say you don't want to take medication and so the option open to you is to learn cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).  There are psychologists that specialize in teaching this.  Also your statement of "I know you yourself can easily control your own brain" is a wishful statement.  If we could easily control our own brains and minds then we wouldn't be here in the first place.  You can learn ways to combat the mind by using CBT.  The mind is so very powerful that it can take us to the dark place anytime so you need to be prepared to fight when these times come up.  With you being in school, there is that much more stress added on to your already full plate which is probably why the hair/scalp picking is coming back in full force.  

Let me know how you make out.  If your sister hasn't sought treatment  and is still picking, then maybe you can go together.  There is comfort in numbers :)

all my best.