Hey everyone,

I’m 32 and have been popping zits and picking scabs for my entire adult life.

Recently I decided to quit substances entirely as it felt like booze and weed and everything else was just a way to artificially reduce stress. I used these apps that pretty much just track abstinence day by day. It worked SO well that I decided to try it for skin picking.

I downloaded a free app that just tracks minutes/hours/days that have elapsed since a set time. I’m now about 4 days in and I haven’t touched my skin once. It feels like magic. I don’t know what sort of cognitive or behavioural thing is going on behind the scenes but there’s something about timing and tracking progress that suddenly makes it feel possible. It’s like “well I made it 1 day, may as well try for 2.”

I don’t normally post on reddit but really felt like sharing. Try it out for yourself! Maybe you’ll have some luck like I did.

Just found this subreddit, so glad to know I’m not alone! As a thank you for having me, here is a tip I learned about reallocating the compulsive behaviour I experience.

I pick at my face, chest, back, anything within reach really. I mainly do it when I’m bored or seeking stimulation- or when I’m overwhelmed, nervous and overstimulated. Thanks to ADHD there is almost always one of those things happening 😂

I’ve found that I “graze”. My fingers skim over my skin, looking for imperfections or pimples. It’s a nightmare. I realised that I’m looking for a release, a snap, a letting go of pressure.

So I started clicking my fingers. Finger snapping, you know? The way a music teacher would keep time- I’m not breaking my fingers or popping the joints I promise 😅 I’ll post a gif if it lets me in the comments

Anyway, that release of pressure, the sound, the way it occupies my fingers. It helps to let the urge go or at least partially be satisfied.

How have you managed to stop picking or tearing at the skin on your fingers? I also have OCD and a fear of serious illnesses. I was in Crete, Greece, with my family from October 6th to 13th, and I’m a huge animal lover. As is well known, there are many stray cats on the island; one day, I used my fingers to move a metal food can—bought from a store—from which two stray cats had been eating less than a minute earlier. I’m terrified that some of their saliva got onto my fingers and that I might contract rabies—EVEN THOUGH Greece is officially a rabies-free country. The mother cat hissed and spat when I approached, but that was likely just because her kitten was nearby and she was protecting it. In any case, this habit of picking at my skin causes a lot of stress—even while traveling—and it is EXTREMELY difficult to stop. Any tips would be greatly appreciated! My thumb was probably not that bad looking when I were in Crete, now I have eaten it even more, maybe due to stress etc. For my own peace of mind, I left a callback request to my local healthcare emergency service regarding the risk of rabies, even though there should be none. Thanks for the help!!

Hello, tentatively sharing here because I'm embarrassed about this and don't feel like I can talk to anyone about it.

For the last couple of months I have been going through phases of obsessively picking at my gums, around where my teeth sit into them. Gross, I know. I've never done this before, but when I start I can't stop. The worst part is, the more I do it, the more bits of the tissue stick out and make me want to pick them more. I can't ignore it, because I can feel it all the time with my tongue. It hurts, it makes my gums feel a bit raw, and I'm worried that they won't self repair if I go too far, or (actual nightmare) that next time I go to the dentist, he'll be able to tell?

I've tried to Google this and can't find much, but read a bit about BFRB so I said I'd try here. For reference, when I was a teenager I used to obsessively pick at the skin/spots/blemishes on my face, and it took me a long time to grow out of it. I guess I've been known to pick at my skin sometimes on my feet also. But I've never really linked all these things. The gums are the worst to date.

Any help or advice on why I am doing this or how I can stop would be appreciated...