If you have a habit of picking your skin, you may be wondering- is skin picking self harm? We’re here to tell you the similarities and differences between the two, as well as alternatives to skin picking and self harm. This article details some information which may be triggering to those suffering from depression, OCD, self harm or skin picking.
Classification
Right off the bat, the two are classified differently. The official Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) describe self harm as an injury that is self inflicted that is non-suicidal. It is defined as making the conscious decision to harm yourself without intending suicide.
Dermatillomania is also known as compulsive skin picking or excoriation disorder. This is a type of body-focused repetitive behavior. It is most commonly considered to fall under the obsessive-compulsive category of mental disorders.
So although they are classified as different, they are starting to sound pretty similar-right?
How Are They Similar?
Both skin picking and self harm can cause real damage to your body and medical complication if they go untreated. Wounds need to be properly cleaned and bandaged so that it does not lead to infection.
In both skin picking and self harm, they are habits that are easily formed in people coping with trauma and become difficult habits to stop. When people are experiencing trauma or overwhelming emotions, they resort to skin picking and/or self harm as a way to cope with those emotions. So, it’s easy to see the two as equal.
One Main Difference
While the classification and reasoning for skin picking and self harm may seem similar, there is one major difference between the two. Self harm usually starts with one deliberate choice an individual makes to harm themselves, which can result in an emotional addiction to feel that pain. However, most of the time the person who is doing self harm is aware of their actions while they are doing it- although not in a great mental place.
Skin picking may start as conscious decisions,such as picking off a hangnail, that later become unconscious. This is the problem with Dermatillomania, a lot of patients do not realize it’s a problem until it has become a serious one. Most people just brush it off as a bad habit they need to break, but don’t take many actions to stop.
Some People Do Both
It is important to note that skin picking and self harm are both mental disorders that people can experience simultaneously. Someone may self harm due to depression but skin pick because of anxiety. They usually have different triggers but someone can experience both.
Both require treatment and regular cleaning so it does not lead to infection. Both require professional help. Both can cause serious harm.
First Steps To Stop Skin Picking
One of the first things you can do to stop skin picking is identifying the problem. You’re already researching- great job on making it this far! While I do recommend therapy for dealing with Dermatillomania, I can give you the tools to stop skin picking at home. I would try to keep your hands busy whether that be writing, drawing, squeezing a ball, or picking up silly putty at a dollar store. You can also start taking better care of your skin such as moisturizing it, applying skin care products, and washing your skin. Definitely clean your skin more regularly to avoid infection as well.
Also try to identify when and where you most commonly pick your skin. You can try to avoid these triggers or wear bandages or gloves to remind your subconscious not to pick skin anymore. By trying to make yourself conscious of the problem, you can try to resist and go longer periods of time without picking. I understand that it might be difficult for you to admit to someone you pick your skin, but telling a trusted individual may help you so that they can make you aware when you do it.
Two last recommendations I have are to keep your nails trimmed and neat. If you let them get sharp and long, you can do more damage to your skin and be more prone to picking. I would also recommend not keeping tweezers, safety pins, or push pins in a place where you can easily access them. If you can throw it out- then I would for the time being.
Minimizing Self Harm
If you are considering or already self harm, I will always recommend seeking treatment first and foremost. However, there are a variety of ways to minimize self harm that you can utilize to help you protect yourself. Here are a few things you can do. Please note that you can still hurt yourself while doing these, but it is far harder and less damaging than inflicting serious self harm.
- snapping rubber bands on your wrist
- pinching yourself
- holding ice
- eating sour or spicy candies
- squeezing a stress ball
- punching a pillow or cushion
- screaming into a pillow
So, is Skin Picking Self Harm?
So, let’s go back to the question “is skin picking self harm”. Although they both can cause physical and mental damage, I would argue they are different. One key characteristic we talked about in classifying the two was “the conscious decision to harm yourself without intending suicide”. While self harm can feel addicting, most individuals who commit self harm are conscious and aware of what they are doing in the moment they are doing it. Dermatillomania, or skin picking, may start consciously and then form into an unconscious habit that is difficult to break.
Both are used as an unhealthy way to cope with overwhelming emotions and trauma. However, both also have the opportunity at recovery. Skin picking is one of my specialties, as well as hair pulling (trichotillomania), ADD/ADHD, social anxiety, cognitive behavioral therapy, pre/post divorce therapy, and specific phobias. If you’re looking for a licensed psychologist in NYC who specializes in any of these, please reach out to me here.
