I have ocd which shows it's ugly head in many different ways. I used to have a slight picking ocd where I would pick at skin tags/pimples until they would come off. I also pick at the roof of my mouth. Sometimes my mouth would bleed and hurt terribly but I couldn't stop. Lately, not only am I doing that but I'm picking my fingers (cuticles, etc) until they bleed. Am I like a cutter...who actually likes the pain or is this another example of the world of OCD?? My expensive manicures are looking terrible after a few days. I don't know how to stop!!!

I completely understand what you are going through. You are not alone! I constantly pick at everything. My arms, hands, cuticals of my fingers. If I see even the smallest fuzzball or piece of lint on my clothing, I imediately have to remove it, or I become paralized with fear. It totally sucks, I know :)
Glad to know I am not alone.I meditate alot, and also take xanax, but they dont really solve the problem. If you find anything that works, let me know.
Best wishes, braddbad

It might have to do with Perfectionism, but personally I think this is OCD are connected. Here's my favorite TRUE story and why I believe they are connected: (Please read the entire story because it is a very powerful and gets to the heart of why people do this by someone who still struggles with this, but now knows why...the OCD has gone down in the person, but read the end for suggestions...

They came to a realization of why they were so perfectionistic and had such OCD tendencies. It was late one night and they were done checking their e-mail and 10s of newsletters that they still didn't know why they subscribed to them, but was still subscribing, unsubscribing then changing their mind again. They didn't want the newsletters but couldn't figure out why they couldn't LET GO of these. They didn't get any info from them, and books gave more info...

Of course this person usually goes upstairs and has a routine for leaving the house and and separate one for going to bed, making sure everything is off and checking off each room to make sure they didn't forget to do anything because that's they only way they could remember things, writing them down caused a problem but so did this. (The reason was because they were never focused in the present moment and were always worried about the past and future and was the only way they could remember simple things...also explained at the end of this story)... They had routines for everything, couldn't take back library books without a routine, couldn't leave a chair without checking everything to make sure they had everything. And if they couldn't focus on an item, tapping of the feet, they would watch TV, read, or daydreamThey could not even fall asleep at night because it was torture being in silence and not having anything to hang onto! What happened that night while they were checking their e-mail was this...

Because of their meditation practice and wisdom learned from someone. They decided to figure out why they couldn't take a different "path" and why they were stuck on this one! .. So with much courage they stopped and stayed in the moment, the now for a few seconds and it was scary!! They actually started to cry for the rest of the night because they realized that the reason they did all this was because they had been doing it since childhood. And keeping things perfect and having a routine for everything was their coping mechanism for the emotions and trauma that they did not want to feel. They could never be in the present moment because if they ever "came back"...they would have to face those feelings that they couldn't even express in childhood because they didn't know how back then and would be ashamed to...so she HELD ON TO THINGS, thoughts, routines, anything but being silent and in the moment/now...

Practice meditation, and don't expect results right away you may go 5 steps forward then 4.5 steps back, then 4 steps forward then 3.5 steps back.... but you cannot give up! OCD patients may even need therapy, but look into yoga and meditation... they are very powerful. And practice being present in the moment when you feel you are drifting into obsessing or worrying about the past or future. If you can only do it for a few seconds or a minute that's ok. See what emotions come up or memories come up without drifting, stay in the moment for as long as you can... (do in a bedroom or something with the door closed and locked so you feel safe, not while driving!) these memories or thoughts are things that you need to work though... you may need a counselor or therapist, or a very good best friend to help you feel safe while you find these "lost emotions"..

ANY QUESTIONS??

The more I read this the more I wonder about myself. I sit here and scratch at my face finding every imperfection. I see marks and spots probably nobody sees. I feel them on my face and feel the urge to scratch them off. I thought I was just fidgety because I sit here at my desk. If I am moving and busy I don't notice, but I still do it a little.

I am going to try ... thank you for this!!

Hi everyone! OMG, this sounds just like me! I've been picking for over 10 years (I'm 27). I've gone through periods where I didn't do it so much, and then periods where it looked like a war went off on my face. It's so horrible! I constantly search for imperfections on my skin. I always squeeze my pores and pick at any pimples that pop up. My pores are big and I have little holes in my face from popping zits with a needle. Lately I've been better with it, but there is always some sort of mark on my face that I created and made worse. I'm happy to know that I'm not alone with this habit!

Crystal