illustrated by -: not afraid

Being unafraid of something is being fearless.

Being able to stop something from happening is a form of bravery as well.

But being NOT able to stop something, even if u wanted to do so badly….. to me, is a form of fearless, therefore being fearless, I m not AFRAID to tell you readers out there .

I ,

had an OCD… diagnosed called.

DERMATILLOMANIA

The origin of the term Dermatillomania is from Greek:
Derma - skin
Till - pull
Mania - madness

It is quite of an unconcious, involuntary habit that developed into an obsessive habit…. When I was young I remembered that I like to bite my nails.

But usually, biting might be normal for children as they like to put anything into their mouths…. then later on I begin to bite, the skins of my fingernails.

This looked weird because my siblings never develop such peculiar habits that left me the only abnormal one with such habit.

So far I can remember, this habit….. DERMATILLOMANIA, started impulsively once I reached form3, which is 2 years ago….. those who knew me, might know that amount of stuff happened, during form3……….. which I presumed gave me a phobia…. until form4, I still have some issues of my own. I cant stop till now.

I would really scrap the skin off my fingers , or my knees, or I like pulling hairs, ….. I don’t know

I don’t want you to think of me like some creature from outer space.

Now please do read the information below I got it from other resources.

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. Most people pick at the skin that is easiest to reach, such as the skin on the hands, arms, neck, face and scalp.

Others target areas of skin that can be reasonably well hidden under seasonally appropriate clothing. These folks' bodies may be hiding secrets under the backs of their shirts or under a hat, scarf, or other head covering. Long sleeves or pants in hot weather may signal a compulsion to pick the arms and legs.

Breaking the word down further, we find "till," which means to pull (Greek). Think of pulling a plow behind a horse, cow, or tractor to break open the soil for planting. No one knows what causes an individual to begin picking uncontrollably, destructively, at their own body but theories exist. Some theories point to trauma, illness, chemical or hormonal imbalance, violence, abuse, neglect, and very low feelings of self-perception and acceptance.

In today's vernacular, "mania" is often associated with crazed psychotic behavior that adds chilling drama to big-screen movies. Indeed, there was a time, in ancient Greece, when mania simply meant madness. Dermatillomania can be translated to mean that someone has an illness that produces an overwhelming desire to pick, pull, and plow away at his or her own skin. Even though they know it's painful, unsightly, and almost impossible to justify.

One of the ways to combat the compulsion is to identify the specific triggers of an individual patient and learn to recognize signals and avert the destructive behaviors before they get started. Once started, the picking can last for hours. The compulsion can last for years.

Like many CSP sufferers, I used to think I was the only one, but of course I'm not. I recently joined an online group which has nearly 600 members, and I asked them what they would like people to understand about CSP. The answers went something like this:

1) We're not crazy.

Everyone has that thing they do that they know they shouldn't: this is ours.

Everyone has their habits, and often these are less than healthy: some people eat too much, some drink too much, some spend too much, still others smoke; they know that they should stop, or cut down, but they just can't seem to do it. Many of these behaviours are socially acceptable, up to a point, but that doesn't make them rational.

2) Nobody chooses to have this condition. If we could just stop, we would.

Habits like picking are very hard to break, because, to put it perhaps too simply, they become rewarding on a chemical level. You become addicted to the hormones that your body releases when you pick.

3) Even if you can't see it, that doesn't mean it's not there, or that it isn't a problem.

Some sufferers - me included - have had the experience of disclosing their CSP to a therapist, only to find the problem dismissed, because the skin they display to the therapist really doesn't look that bad. Although it is true that some sufferers do pick to the point where it becomes seriously disfiguring - or, in some cases, even life-threatening, as it can lead to septicaemia - this is not the only measure of the severity of the problem. The therapist should also ask how much time you spend picking, about the impact the picking has on your self-image and self-confidence, and how much these effects have restricted your life. Many sufferers - and yes, this used to be me - spend years avoiding close relationships because they are too ashamed to show anyone what they're hiding under their high necklines and long sleeves. I'd call that a problem.

4) It has nothing to do with how bad your skin is to start with.

CSP can be a complication of acne, but this is not true in every case. Some sufferers start out with what is clearly problem skin; some don't. The picking can be motivated by a desire to make already good skin perfect.

5) Although it is quite normal to pick the odd spot, it is not normal for the picking to take over your life.

CSP is as different from ordinary, everyday spot-picking as alcoholism is from ordinary, moderate social drinking. It blights people's lives; it threatens their health. It's a real problem. Its sufferers deserve proper treatment.

Dermatillomania - Statistics

Much can be learned about Dermatillomania from people who suffer from it. During the existence of this website many visitors contributes their answers to polls and surveys. This resulted in a further insight into the specifics of this disorder, based on actual facts.

SkinPick.com visitors

The following chart describes the relation between the visitors to this website and the picking disorder. As you can see, most visitors are affected directly, and some are looking for information because someone they know has this disorder. Only 3% are ex-sufferers.

Areas of body affected by picking

The following chart shows that the most affected body parts are face, scalp, arms and legs.

How long have you been picking for?

The following data clearly shows that most visitors have Dermatillomania for years. It also implies low success rate of treating this disorder.

Age distribution of Dermatillomania sufferers

The following chart shows the age distribution of Dermatillomania sufferers. The majority are between age 15 and 50. However, the fact that only a small percentage are above 50 might indicate that less senior people are using online resources (as SkinPick.com) compared to younger generation.

Gender distribution of people with Dermatillomania

It is a widely known and accepted fact that the majority of people affected by Dermatillomania are women. The following data clearly supports this fact.

Previous attempts to stop picking

Ending the compulsion to pick for good is not an easy task. The main reason being that effective methods of treating Dermatillomania are not widely known and practiced by therapists. As an effect, most attempts to stop picking fail. However, the majority of people don't even try to stop, possibly due to lack of information and guidance.

Which treatment methods have you tried?

For those who do try to stop picking at some point of their lives, the choice of methods vary:

Dermatillomania causes

There's no one definite answer to the common question "what causes this disorder?". SkinPick.com visitors were asked this question. Here are the results:

Disclosure rates

Dermatillomania sufferers are very private about their condition and rarely talk about it with others, due to embarrassment and the inner fear to be rejected.

If you or someone you know has this disorder, please know Dermatillomania is not just a bad habit

but is

a real mental illness.

If you are suffering Dermatillomania, the first thing you must know is that you are not alone. There are thousands (perhaps millions) of people out there who suffer in silence; wearing hats, makeup, long sleeves and pants in the summer to hide what they are doing to themselves because they cannot stop. Although Dermatillomania isn't openly discussed, as sufferers know that what they are doing is considered wrong and undesirable, know that there are professionals who can help, support groups, medications, supplements and therapies to help you stop.

The picking is almost always followed by a feeling of guilt, shame and regret about the damage done to the skin. Sufferers often are also diagnosed with social anxiety disorder and depression.

Many people do not realize that CSP is a real illness and do not report it or seek treatment.

Dermatillomania has a much higher incidence in women than in men.

CSP is now often considered by many professionals as a Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB).

Cure Dermatillomania: Hypnosis Skin Picking

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Hypnotherapy is the main method used in hypnosis skin picking, a treatment for people with compulsive skin picking disorder. One out of 20 people is suffering from compulsive skin picking, which makes 5% of the total population is affected by this condition. This is a repetitive behavior of biting, chewing, or picking the skin to the extent of destroying the skin and causing tissue damage. This condition may be detrimental to both children and adults as it can affect the different aspects of their lives.

By using hypnotherapy, therapists believe that there are more comprehensive and effective approaches to unravel the causes of hypnosis skin picking. Skin picking is driven by a subconscious urge and so it is important to pay attention to the subconscious mind to find the answer to this harmful behavior.

As soon as the sufferer starts to pick his or her skin unconsciously, that subject has entered the hypnotic realm. They are concentrated in picking their skin but they cannot control themselves in trance state. It is a negative type of hypnosis skin picking. Hypnosis skin picking only determines the emotional cause of picking by tapping the unconscious part of the brain and let other forms of therapy deal with it. In this state, the subconscious may be able to choose a better and more constructive habit than the self-mutilating skin picking behavior.

Once a subject is in control of his or her hypnotic ability, not only they can cure their condition but reap other benefits as well.

Lastly, I do hope that…. I might be able to find the root of this problem and manage to chomp it off or find a way out before it tackled my whole life.

Im really scared because im so young and I have so many things ahead of me….

Never give up HOPE .