What happens if you have dermatillomania?

What happens if you have dermatillomania?

A person with dermatillomania will experience intense emotions as part of their compulsion. It's typical to experience an intense urge to pick the skin, with increasing tension until they do. After picking, there's a sense of relief. Dermatillomania can cause negative feelings, such as guilt, shame and embarrassment.

What triggers Dermatillomania?

While dermatillomania can be triggered by negative emotions such as anxiety, it isn't always; boredom, for example, is just as common a trigger. What's more, any pain caused by skin-picking is rarely the intention; instead, the behaviors often are experienced as soothing or relaxing, at least in the moment.

What is the best medication for Dermatillomania?

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors) such as Prozac are the best-studied class of medicines for skin picking.

What is the best therapy for skin picking disorder?

• Effective treatment for skin picking is available: Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) – therapists typically employ a combination of different types of CBT (cognitive behaviorial therapy), but the most commonly used is Habit Reversal Training (HBT).

How can I stop picking my skin?

• If you want to stop skin picking, you can try covering your fingertips with bandages. You can wear them throughout the day to prevent the urge to pick the skin on fingers. The feeling of self-consciousness and embarrassment when wearing bandages in public will be able to help you stop your habit.

Is dermatillomania an addiction?

• Dermatillomania can be a symptom of drug addiction or other forms of mental illness, such as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) or it can be a separate condition in its own right.

Is dermatillomania considered OCD?

• Dermatillomania is commonly thought of the be part of the OCD spectrum, but it is important to note that it is not classified as such is the DSM-5 (about 23% of people diagnosed with OCD also have dermatillomania, so while it is not considered an obsessive-compulsive behavior, many people are diagnosed with both).