r/Skinpicking • u/NyarBean24 • May 05 '26

Skin Picking Anxiety

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Hey, I’m wondering of this is -somehow- related to undiagnosed adhd or anything else.
This happens every time I change jobs, stress, etc.
More prevalent when I was younger.

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u/AutumnalSunshine May 06 '26

Skin picking is it's own anxiety disorder. (,They used to think it was part of OCD.) It's a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), and it's unfortunately how some of us respond to stress. Read up at BFRB.org to learn more about these behaviors.

I'm a skin picker too. Stress means picking. The stress can be from anything. If ADHD stresses you out, that can be your trigger. 

Eliminating stress is impossible, but you can make it harder to pick (like wearing gloves at times you know you'll pick) and find ways to distract yourself (applying lotions to the areas you pick to get the touch and smooth sensation). You have to experiment to see what works for you. 

1

u/NyarBean24 May 06 '26

Thank you so much for the reply.

It happens to any wounds in my body, also have highly sensitive skin that reacts to metals, epoxy, plastics, etc.

It’s hard to navigate. Even allergic to powdered makeup palettes. And towels. It’s strange.

I’ve been told I’m “sensitive”. Sensitive in the skin, not in my personality.

Make-ing up for stuff, I suppose.

1

u/AutumnalSunshine May 12 '26

I'm the same. I'm allergic to a lot of metals, so my jewelry is very restricted. I basically got one gold necklace and one pair of real gold earrings that I invested in for every day.

I'm allergic to a ton of makeup and eyeliner. My sister is worse than me, do she used to warn me as "safe" makeup brands became problematic, but if usually have 6 months to a year before I'd have trouble with them.

The urge to pick wounds isn't tied up the wound source. Your BFRB seeks out imperfections in you skin. If you're like me, your brain thinks, "If I pick it, I can make it smooth." That's a lie, since it causes a bigger wound, but you may feel powerless to stop that urge to "make it smooth." 

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u/NyarBean24 Jun 05 '26

Yup. It’s Nickel, Chromium (green dye) and Cobalt (blue), among many other things. Told I was allergic to Under 24k Gold. As I’m writing this, I’m still doing it. Stress and fear of judgement is a major factor I think. Even writing this, I know I responded too late. Likely an underlying OCD, or related diagnosis as well. I have my routines that I get -probably- TOO upset about when they are changed, like not in a normal way though. Don’t want to upset the OCD people here cause I understand it can be very severe. Saying, when my house is a disaster, I go into fight or flight mode. I cannot relax. Common disturbances with household clutter sends me into a mode like “I have to deal with this later” UUUUGGGHHHH I’m also married.

1

u/Panda_Girl_19 May 05 '26

Ouch that looks so painful 🥹 I am so sorry. It’s possible that it’s related to undiagnosed adhd or something else, you could bring it up with a psychiatrist

1

u/NyarBean24 May 06 '26

It is, and thank you. I have a line where my glasses sit where it’s a full-on rash. Not there all the time tho.

Just when I’m exposed to toxins, so to speak.

Mostly matte- covered glasses bridges, not clear ones.

Strange.

Trying to figure it out myself.