can't stop picking at skin (especially cuticles)

[jlee3]

I am a second year college student and was recently diagnosed with ADD. I am currently on 70 mg Vyvanse daily with a 20 mg Adderall IR booster taken as needed. I have had problems with skin picking since I was very young, particularly my cuticles. All year round (but especially in the winter) I pick at them until the skin peels off and the cuticle starts to bleed. In the last three years or so it seems as though this has gotten dramatically worse, and from November until April or so my fingers are pretty much always bandaged (either because they're bleeding or because i'm trying desperately to stop myself from picking). It's a disgusting habit and also incredibly distressing, especially when I have to shake hands with someone, or when I'm sitting in class aware that the people around me are noticing that I am picking nonstop. I HATE it but I honestly can't stop. I do it both consciously and unconsciously - even when I'm aware of what I'm doing, it doesn't help me stop.

When I first started Vyvanse I noticed that for a week or two I almost completely lost the urge to pick - I still did it sometimes out of habit but sometimes I would realize that I'd gone for two or three days without picking once or even thinking about it (which is UNBELIEVABLE for me). But after those first weeks it came back with a vengeance, and it seems almost as though the picking has gotten worse. It's now something that I'm always thinking about.

Does anyone else do this? Is skin picking a symptom of ADD, or does it indicate some other problem? And could the fact that it's gotten worse possibly be a side effect of my medication?

[kwalk]

this is really cool because im a little bit better on meds. or i'm like more concious or maybe i chose to be concious lol. anyway this does seem to be linked to ADD, its kinda like a way to get out that constant need to be doing something or fidgeting. When i was a kid i used to constantly twirl my hair in class, now i do hand beats, fidgeting, picking dirt out of my nails, its terrible too because i will do it like at a restuarant and i dont notice im doing it.sometimes ill pick my belly button and my ears. i probably make my skin itchier from allergies than it should be just by responding to the itch. My mom has a scab on her head that she constantly picks, shes ADD too. Its really funny though because she has this out of it liook on her face when she does it. This basically tied to the constant need to get up and do something with ADD.

[mammalspod]

I've had this same problem before. What I do is apply super glue to my cuticles. The gel form works best since it doesn't run when it's drying and it creates a thick coating. I will still pick when I first start this treatment but the interest wanes gradually. Also if I pick it will just be picking off the glue instead of my skin. The artificial scab created by the glue will help your cuticles heal. It will look normal on your fingers except maybe on the thumbnails where it seems to build up, but I just sand it down a little with an emery board.

Some doctors will prescribe an SSRI for this condition known as habit tic. You could also try wearing your hands out with a gripper exerciser which might help you relax them for the rest of the day. Good luck.

[Zerbinetta]

You can tell when I've been under more than average pressure by the scabs on my face and neck, where I've absent-mindedly broken the skin.

I used to just fiddle with my hair when I was little - a friend of mine still does. Maybe I should ask her how she's managed to hang on to that.

[prr_fan]

This actually sounds like a form of a tic, like another poster stated. Since it seems like it is causing you issues, I would mention this to your prescriber. Stimulant medications have been known to increase tics, however, they do not cause the tics.

[kwalk]

(lol I still fiddle my hair around sometimes =) or act like i'm washing my hair- feels gooood.

jlee3- I didn't notice how you said it came back worse lately, lol musta had something else on my mind

have you been anxious? Or like more hyper? anxiety can make you do things like that really consistantly.

[pamkay414]

I do the same thing but I have been doing it for my whole life. I am not sure if I just "developed" ADD as an adult (recently diagnosed in late 2008) or if it was never diagnosed as a kid. I pick anytime, anywhere and I wish I could stop. It doesn't seem any better before or after I started Ritalin 20 3 times a day. I also think that it can be related to anxiety as well but when I was on xanax I still did it. Maybe it's a habit for me but anyway, I hope things improve for you.

[Cowboy]

Hey I do this too! From my earliest recollection this has been an issue. It is usually just my thumbs and the ends of my index fingers.


It becomes most irritating just after I clip my finger nails. The skin itches like crazy until I pick it off or cut it away with clippers. Once that is done I can forget about it for a while.


I spoke with a dermatologist recently about it as she said it was just the way my skin grows and was nothing to be concerned about. I do not pick until it bleeds or anything like that but I do have to take care of it or it drives me nuts. Using lots of lotion helps make it a little less irritating. I also put Vaseline and a band aid on it over night so it does not look disgusting in the morning when others may see my hands.


Weird huh...
Ryan

[Rebs]

I posted these links in the following thread

http://addforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=61357

Maybe these will be helpful for you?

http://www.stoppickingonme.com/

http://westsuffolkpsych.homestead.com/trich_cbt.html
(a helpful explanation of habit reversal training, focuses on hair pulling but still applicable to any sort of repetitive self-injurious behavior I would think)

http://www.guidetopsychology.com/pmr.htm
(a thorough explanation of the progressive muscle relaxation mentioned at the above site)

[Azkary]

I've always been fidgety. I was actually surprised when I was about 6 and I discovered that it wasn't a normal thing in people, specially kids my age. I've done a lot of stuff and still do, bite my nails, pick on the cuticles and the skin in my palms, twist my lips, pick on the skin on my lips, twist my ears (I actually broke both ear cartileges). I hope to start on meds soon, maybe this will help.

[kwalk]

I have noticed I do less of this stuff by doing yoga lately- cool to know the connection.

[Rebs]

I have always felt that something like Yoga (or the deep breathing/progressive muscle relaxation process) would be helpful with all sorts of things... but over the years, whenever I've attempted something like this, I can't keep my attention on it for long enough to have it be effective! Another one of those wonderful ADD catch-22's!

=)

[secretADDmirer]

I have been a skin picker (mostly soles of feet) for several years, which is embarrassing, esp. in summer. Picked toenails as a kid, and still do. Have also graduated to fingernails! Worst of all, now my 3 year old is starting to pick at her feet, nails. (She is adopted with no diagnosis of ADD in birth family, so I think it is a matter of watching her mommy doing it.) I was diagnosed with ADD last year, tried ritalin, daytrana, and adderall, all with no success (though none were given a really good trial). I was skeptical of the diagnosis (although from an outsider's perspective, I guess it was pretty obvious) and stopped all meds. Now on Vyvanse, and learning much more, especially about women with ADD. These posts make me feel better about some of my behaviors and ADD in general. One of the things I did in the past to break the "picking habit" was to get fake fingernails. This makes it very difficult to pick at anything!(Although probably not going to work if you are a guy.)

[Song of Mercy]

Wow, I had no idea! I also pick. I used to pick my cuticles until they would bleed, picked at my nails (last year I actually ripped off one of my toenails by accident!) chewed the ends of my hair and God help the zit that shows up...anywhere!!!


But...Im all better now!


I started smoking



Song


PS to those who have laboured through my many attempts to quit with me; I know, I know!

[Logic]

I mostly chew the skin on my hands, I have rough skin from years of weightlifting and scraping around engines as an engineer - so I tend to chew at it.
It was a behavior that was picked up on by nurses last time I was in hospital, to the extent that I was told off and offered distraction techniques.

However, I got burned at work on my right arm, I have these little raised scarring bumps (It's an acid burn, which has left 'keloid scarring') and I've picked at them since I got them to get rid of them... very counterproductive as when I pick them they remain for longer as they never heal properly.

Anyway, I've been so destructive with my picking of these bumpy scars that I'm having them surgically removed, a few at a time.
I think my Doc made the descision to remove them after I cut three of them out myself in an attempt to get rid of them (he looked quite stunned).
At least surgical scars will look a lot neater than these angry red splotchy scars I have now.

You tend to attack your fingers though, you can buy some vile tasting liquid called 'noBite' which is quite a put-off, and quite a shock when you forget and accidentally put those fingers in your mouth... bleh!

Hope you figure it out.

Logic