My 10yo daughter picks her sores, even when it’s the most tiny scratch it turns into a 6month gaping scab. We have tried so many things, bandaids, creams, asked her why - her answer is because I like to. We’ve rewarded her for not picking, threatened to take favourite things away if she picks. Nothing works!! She continues to daily pick the same sores, often on her face. Her nails are short. Please help with something that has worked for you?
9 Replies
PS - happy household, my husband and I get along well, she has lovely friends at school and tells me if anything bothers her which isn’t very often. She is clever and does well.
It's probably time to speak to a professional if it's getting to the point she's creating long lasting wounds.
Punishment, rewards and redirection haven't worked, chances are that this is more a compulsion she has very little control over than somethingshe just does because she likes to.
Can you get her some else she can fidget with? Ie a necklace with a pendant? It sounds like me as a child and my hands needed to keep busy
Big difficult bandaids and Replace the behaviour, give her a fidget with that similar movement. She’s old enough to understand why she must choose not to do that, risk of scars and infection.
Sounds like dermatillomania which is in the category of OCD. It's relatively common and well known/researched now. A professional will help her with the tools she needs
My son has anxiety, and we know it’s getting worse when he starts picking at his skin. He sees a psychologist regularly to keep on top of things. The mental health care plan and referral to a psychologist were for other reasons relating to anxiety and depression, but over time I noticed he would started picking at his fingers or become fidgety when he was struggling.
My son has ASD. He does this. It's a fidget/anxiety thing. Fidget toys help. Not as much as dressing him in long pants/shirts does though. Especially in summer. The thought of being uncomfortably hot deters him, so I don't actually need to follow through with the threat
My son does this.... I spoke to his pead... my son is adhd... it's kind of like a tick.... or stimming, as in he's not even aware he's doing it at the time, and once it's pointed out at any time, they are very aware but can't stop because you have drawn their focus too it.
I was suggested to get them a fidget. It works. Keep her hands busy and she will learn to stop in her own time.
I have skin picking disorder and it’s not just as easy as using ‘will power’ it’s a compulsion. Either try a therapist or alternatives (fidgets, you can fill a pumice stone with puffy paint and have that for her to pick, plenty of other ideas online) but that won’t always give off the same feeling, it’s hard to feel ‘pickable’ skin and not pick it.