According to research, a lot of people sometimes pick at their skin. A healthy individual may occasionally pick at scabs, pimples, or even healthy skin. Skin picking is not regarded as a condition unless you have no control over yourself and it is severe enough to cause significant issues in other aspects of life. Additionally, people may pick at their skin due to drug use or withdrawal, intellectual disabilities, skin diseases, and other health issues. But those who suffer from primary skin-picking disorder don’t just pick at their skin because they have these other issues. In this blog, we will see everything about excoriation disorder and what the treatment is for this excoriation skin-picking disorder.
Definition of Excoriation Disorder
Skin-excoriation disorder is when you frequently and uncontrollably pick at your skin. Even if you harm yourself, you still don’t care. It’s also called pathological skin picking, excoriation skin-picking disorder, dermatillomania, or psychogenic excoriation.
If we talk about America, 2% of the population has this disorder, and 3% of people have claimed that they had it in the past. Individuals with this disorder spend a lot of time, sometimes even several hours a day, on their picking behavior. People may use their fingers or other tools, such as pencils, nail cutters, tweezers, and pins, to do their picking.
Excoriation Disorder Symptoms
If you want to determine whether you have excoriation disorder, then check out these signs. You may have a picking disorder if you cannot stop picking your skin, causing cuts, bleeding, or bruising. Picking your skin picks moles, freckles, spots, or scars to try to “smooth” or “perfect” them. A person who is suffering does not always realize he is picking his skin and also picks his skin when he feels anxious or stressed. These all are included in excoriation symptoms.
Causes of Excoriation Disorder
There’s probably no one cause for the skin-picking disorder. Experts think several factors play a role, including differences in brain structure. People with this disorder may have differences in the area of their brain that controls how they learn habits. Stress, anxiety, or other conditions may also contribute to this disorder. Some people with stress, anxiety, or depression may soothe themselves by picking at their skin. Other causes include genetics, and you are more likely to have dermatillomania if your parents, siblings, or children also have the condition.
It is considered a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) in the DSM-V because it is obsessed with doing a certain task.
Co-occurring Diseases with Excoriation Disorder
Skin excoriation disorder usually comes with other mental health disorders. The most common mental disorders it is combined with include depression, OCD, anxiety, bipolar disorder, and eating disorders. Anxiety and depression may be the triggers for excoriation skin-picking disorder, but the diseases that can develop from this are bipolar disorder and OCD.
Excoriation Disorder Treatment
Research has shown that both psychiatric medication management and psychotherapy are effective for the treatment of excoriation disorder. However, the most common way used to manage the symptoms of excoriation disorder is psychotherapy. If we go specific, then cognitive-behavioral therapy is the best option for excoriation disorder.
In cognitive-behavioral psychotherapy, a psychiatrist helps you take control of your negative thought patterns and get rid of this habit or disorder. This therapy helps individuals understand their thoughts and control them by minimizing repetitive actions.
The second option is medication. Antidepressants are used for the management of signs of skin-picking disorder. Sometimes, SSRIs are also used to manage this disease.
When To See a Medical Professional
When you cannot stop picking your skin, you’re causing serious damage to your skin by picking it, like cuts that do not heal within a few days, and picking your skin is causing you emotional distress or affecting your daily life, it is time to see a general physician. If you are looking for the best clinic for the treatment of excoriation disorder, Inland Empire Behavioral Group is the best choice.
Whether you want clinical services or telehealth solutions, we have got you covered. From the treatment of excoriation disorder to psychosis and schizophrenia, we provide solutions that are evidence-based and customized. Get in touch with us now and get the treatment.
Final Thoughts
Skin-picking disorder is when you can’t stop picking at your skin, sometimes causing injury and scarring. This can make you feel ashamed, embarrassed, or guilty. A psychiatrist can help you figure out what triggers you to pick your skin and how to change your behaviors, which can help you feel better. By getting proper guidance, most people can get relief from their urges to pick at their skin.
