Triggering (SI) - picking scabs???

britbabe16 · 24-01-2009, 02:49 AM

hey

So basicly i have this little obsession with picking my si scabs open when their about 1-3 days old. Its not just to reopen them , cause i honnestly dont really ' like' reopening my old cuts . I seem to think that doing that promotes healing them faster.
I always seemed to do that too , not just now . I remmember when i was like 7 years old i used to do it to scraps and stuff .
Its funny cause the cuts that i dont pick at seem to scar more then the ones that i dont , but im not sure if thats because i dont pick at the deep ones or if it is indeed my not picking.
What do you guys think about that?? I think it might just be a symtom of ocd , but you never know.....

Anyone else share a common or simular habit like that???

Brit

behindblueyes · 24-01-2009, 03:32 AM

I can really identify because all of my life I had a problem with skin picking most of my life. To be honest, for me it was always just a form of self injury and did it when I was stressed, but skin/scab picking can be from various reasons.. and OCD is definitely one of them. Do you think that you have a form for OCD or have you been diagnosed? Things that helped me was lightly covering them with something... loose enough to let air in to heal them but enough to try to get away from the urge.

Take care of yourself.
x Kate

Target Dawn · 24-01-2009, 04:24 AM

When I was younger I used to pick scabs when feeling stressed or anxious, so I suppose for me I could say it was a type of SI/stress relieving thing. I don't know if it's related to OCD or not but I know that scabs form to protect the wound so I doubt picking them off would promote better/faster healing.

whats the point · 24-01-2009, 05:08 AM

well i can say i have picked cuts nornal litle spots and made them in scars i just cant help it and i know its hard to stop doing that aswell

forever_lost · 24-01-2009, 05:14 AM

I do that too. I'm glad I"m not the only one with this habit. But I don't consider it SI for myself. I don't do it to calm myself down or to hurt myself, in fact if it hurts to much to pick at it I'll stop and if it bleeds i'll usually bandage it right away. I just don't like the texure, I'd rather the skin be smooth and picking off the scabs make it smoother. Ever since I can remember I've done this.

britbabe16 · 24-01-2009, 11:24 PM

i dont think ive ever used that as si , but yes i was diagnosed with ocd. i agree with sarah(?? right??? ) i just dont think i like the texture , but ushally the pain dont bother me all that much . perhaps its just the fact that it makes it seem smoother and hense i think its healing faster??? lol i donno .

forever_lost · 24-01-2009, 11:46 PM

yea my name's sarah. :)
I think maybe it's because healthy skin is smooth?
I'm not sure. If I just leave the scab I don't see as much of a difference...like day after day it's just a scab. If I keep picking at it, I can see how it bleeds a little less each day or something like that...it's kinda hard to explain. I don't know lol. I haven't been diagnosed with ocd though...just a habit. I'm not sure how dangerous it is...as long as the cuts are kept clean I think it's ok..

mewmix · 25-01-2009, 12:02 AM

I do this too and also not in a SI way, to be honest I've never really thought why I do it but I guess it's for similar reasons. I want it to be smooth and not all scab like.

Rach x

britbabe16 · 25-01-2009, 12:10 AM

yea , i guess its more or less you able to see the wound heal , but with a scab all you can really see is the colour change ....ughhh lol

mewmix · 25-01-2009, 12:18 AM

Plus scabs look icky lol, like somehow less disturbing to myself when I see it smooth compared to scabby

britbabe16 · 25-01-2009, 12:21 AM

me too actually . i donno , i just find that scabs kind of creepy lol.... they just feel and look bad .