HI! Im here! I have it too! it sucks! I do lots of stuff to try and stop but i still do it a lot! especially because im stressed lately.. i do breathing exercises and i try to get my roommate to be with me when i wash my face at night or tell me if ive been in the bathroom for a long time so i can stop. good luck

I'm here now. Just joined. I have Dermatillomania as well. I have yet to find a way to help with it. Mine has nothing to do with stress. Yes it gets worse with stress but I will be perfectly fine and happy and just start picking without realizing it. My wife will usually catch me and makes me stop. But I go right back to it a few minutes later. I end up picking until I bleed and they will usually get infected. I have no idea why but I also eat the scabs that I pick off. I have been doing it for years and it is progressively getting worse. I recently joined because I am having a break down. I was crying for hours yesterday because I'm tired of looking like I'm on some kind of drug that's making me pick. More and more people have been noticing too and I'm beginning to get really embarrassed by it. If you have Found anything to help you stop please let me know.

it's funny I have heard so many people ask have you found anything to help stop. The answers put out there are rather minimal in cross comparison.

The most important thing to learn about dermatillomania is...

There's never "just one" thing you're going to pick at!

Let me explain...

If you look at your skin and see something on it that bothers you and you think "Oh, it won't hurt if I just get this one thing..."

DON'T. STOP RIGHT THERE.

Believe me, that is how all picking sessions start for me. Don't let yourself indulge in "just one" little blemish. Because if you're like me, pretty soon you'll get into a trance, and 2 hours later snap back to reality and realize you just picked at every inch of your skin on yourself that you could reach. My advice? Healing and breaking this disorder is a process, not an overnight thing. With all processes, there's a plan of action. Mine happens to go something like this...

1-Identify the causes/reasons why you pick!

Next time you pick, pay close attention to the reason why you started. Was it boredom? Stress? Anxiety? I find a lot of the times mine will start out from boredom, but it gets worse when I'm stressed. Whatever your reason is, discovering why you start will be key information in figuring out how to quit.

If your urge fuels primarily from boredom like me, find ways to keep yourself occupied! I find when I have free hands, they tend to roam. This usually leads me to pick. When you find yourself in periods of time when you have nothing else better to do, find some activity you enjoy and get to it!

I also like to keep away from mirrors. When I look at my skin for too long, I'll see bumps or blemishes on my skin, which tends to get me to pick at it, as well. Like I said before, I take every precaution I can so I won't start...because every sufferer from dermatillomania knows once you start, it's virtually impossible to stop.

Another way I help to avoid the urge is to wear long clothing. This hides my skin, and also puts a barrier between most of my skin and my fingers. A lot of the time, when I can't reach or see my skin, I won't touch it.

If your urge to pick fuels from stress or anxiety, find a better way to relieve these feelings! These approaches will differ for everyone. My favorite stress-relievers are to write or go for a run. I'm able to get my feelings out and take my mind off of everything else, which is great! As I've been saying, find out what works best for you in this category. Maybe watching a movie or taking a hot shower works better for you. Awesome! Discover what works best and stick to those activities.

2-Commit to your plan to stop picking

I like to compare this step with New Year's resolutions. Everyone knows you can make them, but unless you get motivated and stick to them, they won't ever get done.

Even if you have relapses in your committment to stop, keep trying! I know I've been trying to stop for over a year now, and I still pick from time to time. Don't get down on yourself if you do end up picking. All this will do is drop your self-esteem, and make your urge to pick even stronger. Remeber, healing is a PROCESS. It will take time, and you will have good days and bad days.

The most helpful thing I could say for this step is just, well...please please PLEASE, don't give up! You will get there, I promise! If not, talk to someone you trust to help motivate you and get you back on track. Trust me, I am feeling what you are too. Some days I just want to stop trying because I keep going back to picking, but believe me when I say people get through harder things than this, and you are stronger than you think you are. You can do this!

3-Find ways to prevent the urge

This step kind of goes along with the first one...pretty much all this one entails is finding ways to prevent yourself from picking. These will vary from person to person, so experimenting around with different methods is smart if you're trying to find what works best for you. The key thing to remember from this step is to put a "barrier" between yourself and your urge. This may be a literal barrier, like clothes, between you and your skin. Whatever works! Try things to keep you occupied and stray your mind away from any picking thoughts. Perhaps for most people, simply finding a counselor or a behavioral therapist would work best.

Support groups (like this site) are another great option. Oftentimes, knowing someone else is going through the same things you are and is there for you every step of the way is a big relief. Also, support groups are not judgmental of how you feel, and if you have relapses or whatnot.

I have heard that aromatherapy may help as well, along with additional B vitamins in your diet. Not really sure about the B vitamins one, although I know it helps phenomenally with depression. I will keep researching that one, along with other solutions, more and create a separate post with what I find.

Sorry this post was kind of long, but I hope it helps! Feel free to contact me at any time, and good luck to you all!

Just joined this group. Thanks to everyone that posted on this thread. I didn't know this was a legitimate problem until like an hour ago. I have picked my skin all over my body like crazy and my nails etc. since I can remember... at least a decade. And I just can't stop even though I know it's just making my skin worse. I didn't realize this "had a name" until I was laying here thinking about my friend, who has Trichotillomania. And realized that this might have a name too. I see a psychologist for other issues so I might bring this up. I know I need to stop. I thought it was just me, so it's good to know that there are others. Thank you! I am not alone.