OT tool for skin pickers
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Anonymous
| Any ideas for an unobtrusive gadget/clothing/tool to redirect my child who has started to compulsively pick her skin? |
Anonymous
| Zipper bracelet? Fidgets from fidgetland.com or from therapyshoppe.com? |
Anonymous
Anonymous
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I'm not a parent (I'm the OP of the AMA thread) so I hope it's ok that I chime in here, but I have that issue too due to anxiety. I haven't kicked the bad habit, unfortunately, but some things that worked at least temporarily to try to redirect myself were
- the raggedy edges of notebook paper... you know, the strip left behind after you tear something out of a notebook. Good to peel and shred and make into tiny balls that felt a bit like the scabs I was trying not to pick at. Very unobtrusive once I was school age, since everyone had notebook paper. Downside - very messy. - I don't know what these are called, but the gel stress tubes with little hard colorful things inside. Could isolate the beads in the liquid and sort of pick at them. Downside - they eventually explode. - Bracelets, especially with beads. Perfect unless they break, or unless your child is too young to risk the choking hazard. - hairties/schrunchies - same premise as the bracelet, except I also liked to snap them on my wrist. - anything sticky, like that glue most people try to peel off of some things you buy with labels. Strips of that are fun to pick apart. This is by far the strangest thing on my list. -TheraPutty in a pinch, but that stuff is evil because if it gets on your carpet it is never coming out again. |
Anonymous
OP here. Thank you, thank you for this list! Of all these, peeling glue seems like the thing that would most appeal to dc (who also likes to pick at paint, her cuticles, anything that has started coming off already). She often has a rainbow loom bracelet on, but that doesn't seem to substitute for her skin. What is something that an adult could have told you when you were young that would have motivated you to try to redirect yourself? Infection and scarring are too abstract/in the future for my child to care about. |
Anonymous
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I would contact your child's OT, ASAP. IF she doesn't have an OT - request via email that the school conduct an OT assessment, ASAP and catergorically state you do not want an OT screening.
Good luck! |
Anonymous
In my case, I know you don't want to hear this, but I'm not sure what if anything would have worked. I'm 22 and I still pick skin and scabs. Now that I'm in a professional job I'm really trying to notice when I'm doing it and remember that no matter how much it feels like the thing to be doing I cannot do it anymore. I'm not really all that successful at redirecting myself even now. The first thing I think would be to find out if she even notices she's doing it. You can't stop yourself doing something you don't even realize you're doing until after it's done. I only notice the blood afterwards, usually. One thing I'm almost sure would have worked, because it's basically what I use now, probably isn't the healthiest since it feeds directly into my social anxiety. Basically, if an adult in my life had wanted to go this route they could have very bluntly told me people were going to think I was weird and gross if they saw me doing that, and I needed to not if I wanted friends. But I don't necessarily recommend that. It could easily create a bigger mess. Maybe: - you're probably going to want to stop that someday, and the more of an ingrained habit it is the harder it will be to kick - (since mine was because of primarily social anxiety) pointing out that it only makes me feel more awkward when I know my face has a giant red spot, so clearly it's not helping me fix the underlying problem at all might have worked, if it had focused on me choosing logical actions, not on others judging me for my current ones - convince her she's beautiful, then point out that irritated skin from being picked at detracts from her natural beauty and she's perfectly wonderful the way she is, even with whatever she's trying to pick off Sorry, I'm probably not the best one to ask for tips on this, since I haven't successfully stopped doing it myself yet. I wish I could be more helpful. |
Anonymous
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I'm 49 and still do this. The only thing that stops me from picking at myself is when I'm on Ritalin for my ADHD then all desire to pick disappears.
NOTHING anyone has ever said has made me stop. I use to pick at all my cuticles and bite my nails. By the end of high school, I stopped biting my nails except for both thumbs. By 30, I had weaned off my right thumb and only bite and pick on my left thumb. Unfortunately, in my teens I had also discovered picking at my scalp and still do this intermittently depending on stress level. My niece has trichotillomania (and ADHD) and like my skin picking, it ebs and flow. I don't think there is a permanent cure just management, drugs, therapy, etc. |
Anonymous
My niece, 17, tells me that her compulsion to pull out her hair disappears on Abilify. Psychotherapy nothing although therapy makes her feel better and less stressed. |
Anonymous
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A couple of other tips that might help, if your daughter can tolerate them. Reformed skin picker here (SN mom).
Colloidal bandages if she will leave them on over the wounds/scabs offer the fastest healing and the best way to reduce the urge to pick is to have nothing to pick at: Larger: http://www.amazon.com/DuoDERM-Extra-Thin-CGF-Dressing/dp/B0002DMANU/ref=pd_sim_194_3?ie=UTF8&refRID=13HPZRQPK3Q3TVH46RMD Smaller for little face scabs: http://www.amazon.com/Universal-Patch-Absorbing-Cover-Count/dp/B00KLJ14CS/ref=pd_sim_194_1?ie=UTF8&refRID=13HPZRQPK3Q3TVH46RMD Also, if she will let you, slather the littlest abrasions/scabs/bumps/wounds/tiny scrapes with Desitin (the diaper rash cream) overnight. The zinc gives the fastest healing and aids in fighting scarring. |