Which are the symptoms of Dermatillomania?

See the worst symptoms of affected by Dermatillomania here

Symptoms of Dermatillomania

Dermatillomania, also known as excoriation disorder or skin picking disorder, is a psychological condition characterized by the repetitive picking, scratching, or picking at one's own skin. It is considered a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) and is classified as an impulse control disorder.

1. Compulsive Skin Picking: The primary symptom of dermatillomania is the irresistible urge to pick at the skin. Individuals with this disorder often spend significant amounts of time engaged in this behavior, leading to tissue damage and skin lesions.

2. Skin Lesions: Skin picking can result in various types of skin lesions, including scabs, sores, ulcers, and open wounds. These lesions may be present on any part of the body but are commonly found on the face, arms, and hands.

3. Preoccupation with Skin Imperfections: People with dermatillomania often obsess over perceived skin imperfections, such as acne, blemishes, or irregularities. They may spend excessive time examining their skin in mirrors and become fixated on removing or "fixing" these imperfections.

4. Emotional Distress: Dermatillomania is often associated with emotional distress, including feelings of shame, guilt, embarrassment, and frustration. Individuals may experience anxiety or tension before engaging in skin picking and relief or satisfaction afterward, creating a cycle of negative emotions.

5. Impaired Functioning: The compulsive nature of skin picking can significantly impact an individual's daily functioning. It may interfere with work, school, relationships, and social activities. People with dermatillomania may avoid social situations or wear clothing to conceal their skin lesions.

6. Physical Consequences: Chronic skin picking can lead to physical consequences, such as infections, scarring, and disfigurement. In severe cases, individuals may require medical intervention to treat infections or address the damage caused by their picking behavior.

7. Attempts to Stop: Many individuals with dermatillomania make repeated attempts to stop or reduce their skin picking but struggle to control the behavior. They may feel a sense of loss of control over their actions and experience frustration or disappointment when their efforts are unsuccessful.

8. Co-occurring Disorders: Dermatillomania often co-occurs with other mental health conditions, such as anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, or body dysmorphic disorder (BDD). These conditions may contribute to the development or exacerbation of skin picking behavior.

9. Triggers: Certain triggers can exacerbate skin picking episodes in individuals with dermatillomania. These triggers may include stress, boredom, anxiety, or the presence of skin irregularities. Identifying and managing these triggers can be an important part of treatment.

10. Secretive Behavior: Many individuals with dermatillomania engage in skin picking behavior in secret, attempting to hide their actions from others. They may feel embarrassed or ashamed of their behavior, leading to increased isolation and difficulty seeking help.

It is important to note that dermatillomania is a complex disorder, and symptoms can vary in severity from person to person. If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms of dermatillomania, it is crucial to seek professional help from a mental health provider specializing in BFRBs.

Diseasemaps

Personally, dealing with always looking like a mess is the worst part. When you go out in public and people see all of the wounds all over, they assume you're on drugs or that you medically have something wrong with your body, like you might be contagious. That's seriously demoralizing and it only makes me want to pick more, and it becomes a never ending cycle.

Obviously, the act of picking is unsanitary, so when you create these wounds, you leave room for infection. With wounds of any kind, but especially with wounds that become infected, scarring occurs.

Posted May 17, 2017 by Jenna 350

The physical scars and open sores are usually the most limiting because people think that the wounds are caused by drug use. For me, the worst is the feeling of not being able to stop picking. The itching, the urge to pick, and the relief that finally comes when picking happens is a dangerous cycle..

Posted Sep 11, 2017 by Melissa 200

The pressure to pick on the Skin of my fingers. Sometimes it even bleeds a bit...

Posted Sep 14, 2017 by Melanie 300

The distorted thinking that tells you that if you rip off the imperfection your skin will be smooth and clear.

Posted Sep 14, 2017 by Linda 4500

The symptoms of dermatillomania, now known as excoriation disorder are compulsive picking, biting, pulling, scratching, or other irritation of the skin that has caused interruptions to social or physical lifestyle.

This is different from deliberate picking of the skin meant to cause harm or pain, which is self harm.

There are two types of picking recognized: automatic and focused. Automatic picking is done without consciously being aware of it, usually when doing an activity where the hands are idle. Focused picking is an compulsion driven episode of deliberate picking that is most often brought on by triggers such as stress and anxiety.

Dermatillomania also has secondary symptoms such as infection, depression, anxiety, pain, bleeding, and loss of self-worth. Sometimes these are comorbid and exacerbated by dermatillomania and sometimes they are directly caused by it.

If I could get rid of some of the symptoms it would be scanning, the compulsion to rub over my skin and find imperfections to pick. This would stop a great deal of my picking, personally.

Posted Oct 14, 2019 by lovetheaardvarks 3660

Picking skin/scabs..

Posted Oct 14, 2019 by Brenda-Victoria 3600