Aa
addicted to picking
Ever since I was young (around ten years old) I use to sit infront of a magnified mirror and pick my pimples, blackheads, hairs or just plain anything I could out of my face. I became borderline obsessed with this, not being able to wait till the next day to get back in the mirror. I am now 30 years old and still have the same compulsive disorder but now I've moved on to people in my family. Mainly anyone that will let me "pick" them. I feel so much satisfaction from a pimple the blows up or a blackhead that I can successfully pull out of each pore. In each "session" I bring with me tweezers, a pin and a lamp so I can see even better. I turn into a totally different, even aggressive person if they move, or make me wait because I am hurting them. Even when I hurt myself I can't stop. What's wrong with me?
Christian~ This is an old post. You really shouldn't put your name and # here...try to get it deleted...it's not a safe thing.
I am so glad I am not alone in this. I've been doing this since I started getting pimples at around 12 years old, and I am now 21. My obsession was a lot worse when I was in high school. Looking back I think I used to pick in response to stress. My dad used to drink quite a lot and he would pick fights with my mum that would result in hours of them screaming at each other, so to 'cope' I would sit myself in front of the mirror and pick and pick and pick until I was bloody and and swollen and bruised. I would end up with scabs all over my face. Once I bruised my face so badly people at school thought someone had hit me.
I have nice skin when I don't pick, and I feel so much better about myself. Sometimes I have no urge to pick at all. Other times I will sit in front of the mirror for hours looking for every last blackhead or bump that might be able to be squeezed. It is so satisfying at the time. Then after a while I step back and look at my face all red and swollen and feel so ashamed and really regret doing it. I get defensive and aggressive if someone interrupts my 'sessions' or if someone sees my face all red after I've just been picking. Sometimes it gets to the point where I have to wait a while before going out in public because my skin is so red and swollen. And I wear tonnes of makeup to try and hide any evidence of my picking. But I still feel really conscious that people can tell.
After I started uni I just kind of stopped for a while. I couldn't figure out why at the time, but looking back it kind of coincided with my dad quitting drinking because he had become quite ill, so maybe that was it. I still have the odd picking episode (usually when I have exams or some sort of stressful event in my life) but I feel like I have more control over the situation now though. I have a lot more self confidence than I did back in high school and I feel more comfortable with who I am and what I want from life, and I think this has really helped me gain control of the situation. Also, just coming to terms with the fact that it was a problem really helped me get through it. That was a big step.
You have all made a great first step by coming on here and exposing your problem and I think that really helps on the road to finding a solution. I also know it really helps knowing there are other people out there who are suffering as much or even more than you are with similar problems. I know that feeling like you are alone in something makes you feel awful, like there is something wrong with you, but just know that you are not alone, there are many other people out there who can relate to you. I think it really helps to confide in someone you know and trust who can help you along the way and who you can talk to when you feel the urge to pick. Good luck to all of you out there with this problem, and all you others with other addictions and problems that you are struggling with. No one deserves to go through anything like that. Be brave and have hope that you will get better.
I have nice skin when I don't pick, and I feel so much better about myself. Sometimes I have no urge to pick at all. Other times I will sit in front of the mirror for hours looking for every last blackhead or bump that might be able to be squeezed. It is so satisfying at the time. Then after a while I step back and look at my face all red and swollen and feel so ashamed and really regret doing it. I get defensive and aggressive if someone interrupts my 'sessions' or if someone sees my face all red after I've just been picking. Sometimes it gets to the point where I have to wait a while before going out in public because my skin is so red and swollen. And I wear tonnes of makeup to try and hide any evidence of my picking. But I still feel really conscious that people can tell.
After I started uni I just kind of stopped for a while. I couldn't figure out why at the time, but looking back it kind of coincided with my dad quitting drinking because he had become quite ill, so maybe that was it. I still have the odd picking episode (usually when I have exams or some sort of stressful event in my life) but I feel like I have more control over the situation now though. I have a lot more self confidence than I did back in high school and I feel more comfortable with who I am and what I want from life, and I think this has really helped me gain control of the situation. Also, just coming to terms with the fact that it was a problem really helped me get through it. That was a big step.
You have all made a great first step by coming on here and exposing your problem and I think that really helps on the road to finding a solution. I also know it really helps knowing there are other people out there who are suffering as much or even more than you are with similar problems. I know that feeling like you are alone in something makes you feel awful, like there is something wrong with you, but just know that you are not alone, there are many other people out there who can relate to you. I think it really helps to confide in someone you know and trust who can help you along the way and who you can talk to when you feel the urge to pick. Good luck to all of you out there with this problem, and all you others with other addictions and problems that you are struggling with. No one deserves to go through anything like that. Be brave and have hope that you will get better.
Listen. Everyone. I have been addicted to popping and picking at white heads and blackheads for 5 years now. I know what its like. I understand the urge seems to always be there. I know what its like to not be in the comfort of your home and to be embarrassed of your face thinking everyone is seeing the scabs and scars and redness. Truth be told, they're most likely NOT looking...but that doesn't bring us much comfort at all. I usually pick at night....before bed, when i go in the bathroom to wash my face and brush my teeth. And thats usually where all hell breaks loose. When i pick, it satisfies me SO much to see the pus come out of the pore. Its like im purging the grossness OUT OF MY FACE! It feels SO good! And finding blackheads that will come out as well...it is just so satisfying to know that all of that gunk is out of your face. But then, I step back...and take a look at what i just did. I feel like crying--i feel like going back in time and NOT TOUCHING my face! Why did I just do that! And its not like i just popped a few pimples and left. I probably stay in front of the mirror for 20-30 minutes analyzing every inch of my face making sure nothing else can be squeezed out! I hate how i feel after i go on this popping rampage. Its the worst feeling.
OK...NOW LISTEN UP. I have found ONE THING I have done that HELPS ME not pick. And for everyone out there reading this....for everyone who has this addiction like i do...do this for me and TRY WHAT I AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU.
when you go into the bathroom to brush your teeth, wash your face, go pee really quick and you know that there is a mirror there and you might have the urge...........SHUT THE LIGHT OFF.
If i have to get ready for bed, i put another light on in another room so i can see where im going and i SHUT THE BATHROOM LIGHT OFF. that way i can see where im going in the dark because of the other light BUT I CANNOT SEE ANY PORES OR ANY PIMPLES because the bathroom light IS OFF. i still get the urge to turn the light on but i dont and when i walk out of that bathroom and go on with my day or go to bed I FEEL SO HAPPY THAT MY SKIN IS NOT A BUMPY RED BLOTCHY MESS!!!!! PLEASE, i beg all of you to TRY this. try hard to resist the urge and the feeling you will have when you look in the mirror and dont see a disaster will be worth it.
SHUT THAT LIGHT OFF!!! :)
Best of luck!
Denise
OK...NOW LISTEN UP. I have found ONE THING I have done that HELPS ME not pick. And for everyone out there reading this....for everyone who has this addiction like i do...do this for me and TRY WHAT I AM ABOUT TO TELL YOU.
when you go into the bathroom to brush your teeth, wash your face, go pee really quick and you know that there is a mirror there and you might have the urge...........SHUT THE LIGHT OFF.
If i have to get ready for bed, i put another light on in another room so i can see where im going and i SHUT THE BATHROOM LIGHT OFF. that way i can see where im going in the dark because of the other light BUT I CANNOT SEE ANY PORES OR ANY PIMPLES because the bathroom light IS OFF. i still get the urge to turn the light on but i dont and when i walk out of that bathroom and go on with my day or go to bed I FEEL SO HAPPY THAT MY SKIN IS NOT A BUMPY RED BLOTCHY MESS!!!!! PLEASE, i beg all of you to TRY this. try hard to resist the urge and the feeling you will have when you look in the mirror and dont see a disaster will be worth it.
SHUT THAT LIGHT OFF!!! :)
Best of luck!
Denise
I have also had this picking addiction since i was 12 and now im 25!! I go 4 or 5 days without picking at the most. I look for any thing to squeeze, go into a trance and dont even notice an hour had gone by in the mirror! I usually tell myself that ill only do it for 10 or 20 min, but once i start i cant stop. The next day i feel so upset and embaressed bc all my pores are noticable and my face has red spots everywhere. ITs true that keeping busy at night time is a good way to stay away from the mirror! After years of doing this, I have found some products that help minimize the pores and red marks after picking (so the next day your skin looks better).Sometimes ppl even say my skin looks good (they would never know how bad it looked the night before after picking). I use a face cloth with hot water,apply it many times, which makes the bumps go down, then neutrogena pore definer (shrinks all pores), and also jergens natural glow -self tanner (for some reason also takes away red marks if u put on before bed after squeezing, and is never blotchy the next day). I found that these 3 things make the red marks and big pore less visble the next day, and also make the bumps go down, It may be different on everyones skin type, but this really does work well! I also use covergirl ultimate finish liquid powder makeup when i have break outs and it works so well! I have an anxiety problem and picking helps calm me down, and its also become a habit. Obviously its best for everyone to find a solution to stop picking from the start, however these products have helped me feel so much confident the next day until I actually do stop!
I'm a 34 year old man that has had a trich problem since puberty. Ever since I started getting hair on my face and in my pubic region, I have picked it. I don't shave my face as much as I pick the hairs.
Combined with my eczema issues, it's contributed to me feeling pretty god damn miserable for most of my life. My happiness is directly tied to the state of my skin. Good skin days = happy. Bad skin days = stay at home and don't talk to anyone.
One of the happier times that I can remember is when I lasered all my hair off my face. No hair to pick = clear complexion. Unfortunately, laser hair removal is never permanent and it grew back and I went back to picking.
I'm not sure what I can do right now. My face has never had proper hair growth so when a hair comes in, its thick and black and lots of times, ingrown because of the minute scarring from years and years of picking. That creates both a pain spot as well as a black spot on my face. Both of which I mentally have to take care of. After 20 years of picking my hair, will it ever become "normal"?
Combined with my eczema issues, it's contributed to me feeling pretty god damn miserable for most of my life. My happiness is directly tied to the state of my skin. Good skin days = happy. Bad skin days = stay at home and don't talk to anyone.
One of the happier times that I can remember is when I lasered all my hair off my face. No hair to pick = clear complexion. Unfortunately, laser hair removal is never permanent and it grew back and I went back to picking.
I'm not sure what I can do right now. My face has never had proper hair growth so when a hair comes in, its thick and black and lots of times, ingrown because of the minute scarring from years and years of picking. That creates both a pain spot as well as a black spot on my face. Both of which I mentally have to take care of. After 20 years of picking my hair, will it ever become "normal"?
I combat this time to time...seems worse when I'm tired or depressed or anxious. Do you always do it the same of time of day (night/morning)?; when you're stressed? Figure out if theres an underlying time when you would do it and analyze when/why you do it...understand it.
I said to myself, okay you can ONLY pop white heads(i do this washing my hands before hand), and after that you may pick at 3 other pores/scabs/dry skin patches on the face and then you must wash your face and leave the mirror. Maybe try giving yourself a certain amount of times you can f*ck with pores on your body? I tend to allow myself to do this in the mornings or before I get ready for the day and again before I go to bed. Give yourself a certain # of pores to harass and then work your # down...it's really hard but perhaps if you found something else for your fingers to be doing....bubble wrap perhaps? Also, like another person said keep your nails short...less likely to be able to get good hold of your skin for abuse sessions.
Also, if you're sitting around, make sure there are no mirrors in range of you....I realized if I sat at my desk and had a mirror near me, I'd subconsciously go for it and start messing w/ my face.
Perhaps take up knitting or something that involves keeping your hands active and you can still sit around and watch tv....it's very difficult to combat this....if it's so bad you can't stop and it's a compulsion/addiction to really do this...you might have obsessive compulsive disorder and in that case I suggest you get to a doctor to get meds to help you.
best of luck
I said to myself, okay you can ONLY pop white heads(i do this washing my hands before hand), and after that you may pick at 3 other pores/scabs/dry skin patches on the face and then you must wash your face and leave the mirror. Maybe try giving yourself a certain amount of times you can f*ck with pores on your body? I tend to allow myself to do this in the mornings or before I get ready for the day and again before I go to bed. Give yourself a certain # of pores to harass and then work your # down...it's really hard but perhaps if you found something else for your fingers to be doing....bubble wrap perhaps? Also, like another person said keep your nails short...less likely to be able to get good hold of your skin for abuse sessions.
Also, if you're sitting around, make sure there are no mirrors in range of you....I realized if I sat at my desk and had a mirror near me, I'd subconsciously go for it and start messing w/ my face.
Perhaps take up knitting or something that involves keeping your hands active and you can still sit around and watch tv....it's very difficult to combat this....if it's so bad you can't stop and it's a compulsion/addiction to really do this...you might have obsessive compulsive disorder and in that case I suggest you get to a doctor to get meds to help you.
best of luck
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