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 help 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 aren’t 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* and meditation (adding afternoon time) *yogic breathing exercises
– 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 maybe I will do a post soon on what 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? Please share in the comments below.
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,” a video on “how to stop skin picking urges in two minutes flat,” and my “Live Free” newsletter in your inbox each month. Learn more here.
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