A New Beginning? (written 9-3-09, 4:46pm)

I wrote several entries on the discussion board of the Facebook group Dermatillomania Awareness, but I figured that in order for this to make sense as a blog, I should put them here as well.
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Originally written 9-3-09, 4:46pm
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I saw an episode of Truth be Told on TLC, about OCD. One girl had Trich, which of course is similar to Derm. She pulled her hair out mostly subconsciously, which is my problem with picking, so I paid pretty close attention to the bits of her treatment that they showed. What they showed her doing, with her therapist, was verbal repetitive positive reinforcement while simultaneously stimulating pressure points on her hands, chest and head.

So as not to sound like a crazy person around my family (lol), I've adapted this treatment, and it actually seems to be working for me (so far). Kind of like when you get in trouble in grade school and the teacher makes you write lines on the chalkboard, I write lines in my notebook. I vary each page, but I always include "I don't need to pick".

For example, I have a page of "I don't need to pick, I love myself", a page of "Flaws are ok, I don't need to pick", and a page of "I am beautiful, I don't need to pick". Whenever I feel the urge to pick, or catch myself picking, I look at what I've written to remind myself that I don't need to pick. Or, I write some more lines.

I keep the notebook near me at all times. So far it's really been helping, as I've almost hit the 24 hour mark of no picking since starting this routine. I know I've got a long way to go, but in just the 20 hours of not picking, my skin is already looking better.

I'm 22 and I've been picking since I was 14, and I just really, really want to stop. If this Line Writing works for me, then I want everyone to know, because we're all in this together.... And hopefully this suggestion will help other people too....

♥