Skin picking

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by Guest Posts on Tue Feb 27, 2024 1:23 pm

Skin picking

I have previously suffered from severe eczema in the past which thankfully seems to have improved over the years... however, I realised that in the last year, I had started skin picking. I didn't realise until my husband mentioned it and now I feel totally ashamed as I can't stop doing it. I am now getting really depressed about it as it's not something I feel I can share with anyone and I don't want to discuss it - any advice is most welcome please.
Pat
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Dr Alexandra Mizara
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by Dr Alexandra Mizara on Thu Feb 29, 2024 10:44 am

Re: Skin picking

Thank you for your question. Psychological intervention can actually help you reverse this habit/behavioural response. Please seek referral via your GP to NHS services. You can also observe via a log/diary what drives this behaviour and collect some more information around when you pick your skin and understand it better.
It is actually a common habit as it is nail biting.
Dr Alexandra Mizara
Chartered Counselling Psychologist

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... mizara.php

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professor andrew r thompson
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by professor andrew r thompson on Fri Mar 01, 2024 4:07 pm

Re: Skin picking

Dear Pat,

I agree with Dr Mizara, it is certainly worth talking to your GP (lots of support available now for managing eczema, low mood, and skin picking). Psychological therapy and some self-help approaches can assist with skin picking, and can also assist in relieving stress and low mood. Info on habit reversal can be found here: https://www.pcds.org.uk/files/gallery/H ... herapy.pdf. It can also be useful to connect with other people with eczema or/and to read about their stories as this can help reduce the sense of being alone with the impact - see - https://eczema.org, with kind thoughts and thanks for sharing your feelings, Andrew (Prof Thompson)
Dr Andrew Thompson
Registered Clinical and Registered Health Psychologist - DClinPsy., C.Psychol., AFBPsS., DipCAT., FHEA., BA(Hons)

http://www.talkhealthpartnership.com/on ... ompson.php

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