Triggering (SH): Picking at my skin

[MsSkywalker]

I read the post about what can be considered self harm and I guess this is kind of like scab picking, because I never let it heal. Every day I have a routine of picking at my skin on my chest and back until it bleeds. I’ve got a lot of scars from it, but I don’t do it to cause myself pain or anything. I just do it because once I started I can’t stop. After I do it I look at myself and feel disgusted but I still do it again the next day.

If I’m not doing it with the particular intention of causing myself pain is it still self harm?

[Arabesque- golfing girl.]

Hello,

I am sorry that you are having a hard time with this right now and hope that you will be okay soon. When we are having a hard time with something or we have been going through something for a while, we will start to find different things to help distract us or cope with what we are going through. We do not look at this is something that is not very good to do because we are just trying to help us be okay with this. You said that you do this everyday and then you feel upset about this after, when you are going to do this to yourself, try to find something else to do to help you get your mind off of this for a while so that you do not give into this feeling. Try going for a walk around your house or grabbing a book to read for a while or drawing or painting or writing or calling a friend or putting on a funny movie or TV show or something else that you enjoy doing. Would you be able to try talking with someone at your school about this and let them know that you are having a hard time with this? The school counselors know about so much and they enjoy helping others out so that they will be okay soon. Or if you like one of your teachers, ask to talk to them about this. Sometimes talking can be hard to do about what we are going through, if you are not able to talk to them face to face then maybe you can try writing a letter and give it to them to read and then they can help you out with this. I hope that you will be okay soon.

[startangle]

It can get addictive! I experience that too.