What is excessive picking a symptom of? (2023)

What is it called when you constantly pick?

Also called dermatillomania or excoriation disorder, skin picking disorder is where you cannot stop picking at your skin. There are things you can try to help yourself, but some people may need professional treatment.

People may pick out of habit or boredom, and, at times, may not even be aware that they are picking. People may also pick in an attempt to cope with negative emotions (e.g., anxiety, sadness, anger) and/or in response to feelings of mounting stress and tension. While picking, people may feel relief.

What is dermatillomania? Dermatillomania is a mental health condition where a person compulsively picks or scratches their skin, causing injuries or scarring. Also known as excoriation disorder or skin-picking disorder, this condition falls under the category of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs).

Make it harder to pick

You can also try distracting your hands with any number of items including silly putty, stress balls, fidgets, and tangle toys.

Skin picking disorder is treated with therapy and medications. There are two main kinds of therapy for skin picking: Habit reversal training. The therapist helps you identify the situations, stresses, and other factors that trigger the skin picking.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) list ADHD as “one of the most common” neurodevelopmental conditions among children. People with ADHD may develop skin picking disorder in response to their hyperactivity or low impulse control.

The specific DSM-5 criteria for excoriation (skin-picking) disorder are as follows: Recurrent skin-picking, resulting in skin lesions. Repeated attempts to decrease or stop skin picking. The skin picking causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of ...

To be diagnosed with excoriation disorder, a person must show the following signs and symptoms : Recurrent skin picking that results in skin lesions. Repeated attempts to stop the behavior. Significant distress or impairment caused by the symptoms.

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a common, chronic, and long-lasting disorder in which a person has uncontrollable, reoccurring thoughts ("obsessions") and/or behaviors ("compulsions") that he or she feels the urge to repeat over and over.

What is the most common OCD behavior?

Common compulsive behaviors in OCD include:

Repeatedly checking in on loved ones to make sure they're safe. Counting, tapping, repeating certain words, or doing other senseless things to reduce anxiety. Spending a lot of time washing or cleaning. Ordering or arranging things “just so”.

Obsessions in OCD

In OCD, obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts or mental images that cause intense anxiety. People with OCD can't control these thoughts. Most people with OCD realize that these thoughts are illogical or irrational.

This condition is called excoriation disorder, and it's also known as dermatillomania, psychogenic excoriation, or neurotic excoriation. It's considered a type of obsessive compulsive disorder. “Skin-picking is quite common,” said Divya Singh, MD, a psychiatrist at Banner Behavioral Health Hospital in Scottdale, AZ.

Skin-picking disorder, also referred to as excoriation disorder or dermatillomania, is believed to affect as many as one in 20 people.

Skin picking may be triggered by anxiety as a way to relieve stress. When it becomes frequent and intense, however, it can become a condition called skin picking disorder or excoriation. People with skin picking disorder do it out of habit and may struggle to control the impulse.

Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder (SPD) is a relatively common psychiatric condition whose neurobiological basis is unknown.

Don't say “Stop it!” “Don't pick/pull,” “Quit it.” If it were that simple they would have already stopped. BFRBs are real biological problems and not a rebellion to upset you or signs of weakness. Don't talk about it loudly where other people may hear about it.

Stimming is Self-Soothing

Engaging in stimming behaviours such as rocking, repeating words, or skin-picking can help them cope with their external sensory experience and can help them to stay calm.

The most common cause of picking at the skin is obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). Some studies suggest that the picking might be similar to a tic-like behavior. It is called tic/OCD disorder. The stimulant medications used to treat ADHD can exacerbate a tic disorder.

Only fluoxetine (Prozac) has been rigorously studied in hair pulling and skin picking.

What doctor do you see for skin picking?

"For example, individuals whose picking is triggered by a skin condition such as acne may benefit from a dermatologic consultation. However, if picking is triggered by sadness, anger, anxiety, or more of a general urge, consultation with a mental health professional is recommended."

The most common sites are the face, arms, and hands but individuals may picky from any body site and many pick at multiple sites. Many individuals pick with their fingernails but some also use other objects.

Dermatillomania or skin picking disorder is characterized by repetitive skin picking leading to tissue damage. Skin picking disorder can lead to serious medical conditions, such as Scarring, ulcerations and infections (1).

Separating myth from fact is the first step to treatment. Excoriation disorder, also known as dermatillomania or skin picking disorder, is a serious mental health disorder that some studies suggest affects up to 5.4% of the population.

Skin-picking development has been suggested to be preceded by traumatic life events. Dissociative symptoms have been reported as experienced by skin-picking sufferers during picking episodes.

There are, however, some little known signs or symptoms that are also a part of dealing with OCD. These can include body hyperawareness, fear of emotional contamination, perfectionism, obsession with morality, and fear of harming others. Most believe that these obsessions stem from anxiety.

Experts aren't sure of the exact cause of OCD. Genetics, brain abnormalities, and the environment are thought to play a role. It often starts in the teens or early adulthood. But, it can also start in childhood.

OCD can manifest in four main ways: contamination/washing, doubt/checking, ordering/arranging, and unacceptable/taboo thoughts. Obsessions and compulsions that revolve about contamination and germs are the most common type of OCD, but OCD can cover a wide range of topics.

For people with obsessive-compulsive disorder, intrusive thoughts can be related to many things, such as a fear of germs. These thoughts can lead to compulsive behaviors, like repeated cleaning. Have you ever heard someone say, “I'm so OCD,” to describe a strong desire for neatness?

Constantly seeking approval or reassurance. Rituals related to numbers, such as counting, repeating, excessively preferencing or avoiding certain numbers. People with OCD may also avoid certain people, places, or situations that cause them distress and trigger obsessions and/or compulsions.

What is the best treatment for OCD?

Early warning signs that you may be starting to experience OCD include: Repetitive behaviours. Repeating actions until they are “just right” or starting things over again. Rule-driven.

OCD Symptoms at Home

Withdrawing from family and friends because of obsessions with contamination. Avoiding physical intimacy with a partner out of fear of germs, religious impurity, or intrusive violent thoughts. Being late for social events because too much time is spent checking stoves, locks, or light switches.

“OCD symptoms can intensify during times of stress or when you feel like life is getting out of control.” Talkspace therapist Elizabeth Kelly, LICSW. People with OCD regularly experience extreme, yet unnecessary, worry. Obsessive and uncontrollable thoughts can interfere with life to the point of serious disruption.

Skin picking itself is not indicative of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). Many people engage in skin picking behavior when they have a scab or a pimple, or just pick at their cuticles. However, compulsive skin picking can be evidence of OCD or another obsessive-compulsive or related disorder.

There is no known “cure” for dermatillomania, but the disorder can become highly manageable with treatment—to the point where many individuals are able to go long stretches of time without picking at their skin.

Individuals with Trichotillomania can experience hair loss, thinning or bald spots, or complete lack of eyebrows or eyelashes. This can cause them significant discomfort in social settings. Individuals with Dermatillomania can develop bleeding, bruising, or even infections at as a result of their skin picking.

What is dermatillomania? Dermatillomania is characterized by repetitive skin picking that results in soft tissue damage. Skin picking is considered a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), along with other similar behaviors such as compulsive hair pulling, nail biting, and cheek biting.

There is no known “cure” for dermatillomania, but the disorder can become highly manageable with treatment—to the point where many individuals are able to go long stretches of time without picking at their skin.

To be diagnosed with excoriation disorder, a person must show the following signs and symptoms : Recurrent skin picking that results in skin lesions. Repeated attempts to stop the behavior. Significant distress or impairment caused by the symptoms.

What is Onychotillomania?

Onychotillomania is characterized by the compulsive or irresistible urge in patients to pick at, pull off, or harmfully bite or chew their nails, not to be confused with onychophagia which is self-induced damage to nails caused by nail biting.

Several studies have examined SSRIs in treating trichotillomania and skin picking. The SSRIs include: fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), and paroxetine (Paxil). These medications are FDA-approved for the treatment of depression or OCD or both.

Onuxophobia, which is the fear of fingernails and toenails... if you have this fear, you are excused for the rest of this post!

Onycholysis is when your nail separates from its nail bed. It often appears after an injury to your nail, but it may have other causes, including fungi.

Terry's nails are a type of apparent leukonychia, characterized by ground glass opacification of nearly the entire nail, obliteration of the lunula, and a narrow band of normal, pink nail bed at the distal border.

Another step on how to heal skin picking wounds on face you can do is to apply a spot treatment. And Vaseline is an oldie but a goodie. The American Academy of Dermatology actually states that petroleum jelly helps prevent the wound from becoming a scab and heal quicker.

Medication Summary

Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder is treated with a variety of psychotropic medications. Attempts to treat it with a variety of psychotropic medication classes include antipsychotic agents, antianxiety agents, antidepressant agents, topical cortisone agents, and antiepileptic agents.