I was recently rummaging through my folder of notes I kept from my heavy recovery time - the five months I spent in 2010 attending the Saturday afternoon therapy group for skin pickers and hair pullers at the OCD Center of Los Angeles, and I found this list of things that helped me.

I don't remember if it was an assignment for the group or I just did it, but I thought it might be useful for you if I shared it. These are not all things I learned from OCDLA (for example the Bach flower remedies) - I just happened to write the list up while I was in the group.

Here's the list:

• gloves, especially if reading in bed

• bandages, especially if feeling so compulsive that I keep taking gloves off, especially if writing

• pranayama (yogic breathing exercises) and meditation (adding an afternoon sitting in addition to my morning one)

• cleaning!

• weeding

• Bach flowers!!! (yes, I had put 3 exclamation points - I didn't even include these in my book on skin picking, because of the lack of evidence that they work more than a placebo, but here’s a post on what Bach flowers I used!)

• hot bath- shower (to a lesser degree than bath)

• covering mirrors

• the beach

• wearing fleece zipped up high

• not looking at skin

• not touching skin

• repetitive information from the group gradually sinking in

• wearing contacts (I can't see up close as well with them)

• keeping a rubber band on wrist to play with

• switching to green tea only (no black tea or coffee)

  That was my list. About half a year later I discovered what a big effect eliminating sugar from my diet had.

  Do you have a list, or a few tips that aren't on here?

  Love and support,

  Annette

  p.s. Have you downloaded my free "Freedom Kit"? It comes with a written and audio report, "Why you pick your skin and how to finally stop," and a video on "how to stop skin picking urges in two minutes flat”.