What Is Dermatillomania? Definition and Meaning
If you are asking what is dermatillomania I would like to point out that this term simply describes an irresistible urge to scratch your skin with your nails and hands.
Dermatillomania can begin at any age but most commonly begins in adolescence or early adulthood. People with SPD repeatedly scratch, rub, pick, or bite their skin to the point that this habit causes considerable physical harm.
Not all individuals with SPD have dermatillomania; this condition is not synonymous with trichotillomaniia, which is also not compulsive picking of one’s hair.
While dermatillomnia and acne do share some symptoms, they are not the same disease. In fact, over 75% of those with KP have not been clinically diagnosed with dermatillomnia or acne.
Most people with KP only have sporadic episodes of dermatillomania-occasional picking of the skin-and those episodes usually fade after a few weeks.
People with KP are not repetitive skin pickers; they do not damage or exhaust themselves by constantly picking at their skin.
This kind of behavioral dysfunction is sometimes confused with another condition called “anxiety disorder”. Anxiety disorders, such as generalized anxiety disorder, have been known to co-occur with skin picking.
However, anxiety disorders are rarely a problem when it comes to KP and dermatillomania. Anyone who experiences repeated episodes of uncontrollable skin picking can almost certainly diagnosis themselves with KP if they are careful enough.
Diagnosing dermatillomania should begin with a thorough history of where the behaviors begin, how long they last, and how often they occur.
Skin Picking Disorder – Understanding How it Occurs
Skin picking disorder is a form of obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders, where patients are compelled to pick at themselves or at parts of their bodies.
The skin is thought to be the projection of one’s anxiety, therefore victims are constantly in fear of themselves or others. It can cause scars, not only on the skin but also the delicate hair follicles.
To some people with skin picking disorder, it is a way of comforting themselves from their fears. To others, it is done as a means of displaying their power and dominance.
Some just do it for fun, as they think that they look strong and can make others nervous by doing so. And in some cases, skin picking disorder can lead to more serious conditions such as acne.
One way to treat skin picking disorder is through psychotherapy, where the patient is encouraged to pinpoint the cause of his anxiety and overcome it.
Another way to treat this type of obsessive-compulsive disorder is through hypnotherapy. Both these treatments have worked well for many skin pickers, but further study is still needed to determine the real cause of the disorder. symptoms.
The most effective treatment for skin pickers is psychological counseling, since this disorder often stems from a psychological issue. If the skin picker seeks treatment, he should do so with the help of a licensed counselor.
Dermatillomania Symptoms
If you have been suffering from dermatillomania symptoms for any length of time then you are probably aware that they can be incredibly difficult to deal with.
Many people attempt to use anti-depressant medications or psychoactive drugs, which have proven to be completely ineffective at controlling the condition.
Others have resorted to using more natural methods such as homeopathic remedies. Regardless of what method you choose, it is imperative to understand that you are not going to cure yourself by just ignoring your dermatillomania symptoms.
One key strategy that you should employ when trying to manage these urges is to remain calm and minimize the intensity of your emotions.
While this may seem counterintuitive, it has been shown that it can be one of the most effective strategies. Once you have experienced a strong episode, you can begin to gradually increase the level of severity.
You should never try to force yourself to stop. You may feel an urge to do so but unless you can fully convince yourself that it will not be a major problem, you may find yourself relapsing.
When it comes to dealing with your dermatillomania symptoms, there are several things you can try including behavioral training exercises and dietary changes.
In particular you should make an effort to identify foods that trigger your outbreaks. This may take some trial and error. However, the results will likely be rewarding in that you will finally gain control over your compulsions.
Dermatillomania Treatment – How to Treat This Common Problem
A large percentage of those who suffer from this condition are unable to control the urges to pull out their skin, even if they have tried various dermatillomania treatments with limited or no success.
Because it is such a difficult disorder to treat, many sufferers try several different types of therapies, medications and therapies without success.
There are two main approaches to treating this condition – medication or therapy. There are also a few natural remedies that can be used as a dermatillomania treatment.
The use of medications is usually the first dermatillomania treatment, a psychiatrist will try. Typical medications for this condition include antidepressants and anti-anxiety medications.
Unfortunately, these types of drugs have not proven to be very effective, and many patients find that the side effects they produce are worse than the condition they are attempting to treat! Many psychiatrists also prescribe antipsychotic medications to help control the compulsions of the patient.
Often times, these psychiatrists will start the dermatillomania treatment in just the hopes that it will work against itself and eliminate the problem altogether.
Unfortunately, this rarely happens, and most often, the treatment for dermatillomania is just a band-aid approach that doesn’t cure the condition at all.
Some doctors will recommend neuroleptic drugs (antipsychotics), which can have some negative side effects, or they will prescribe antidepressants with serotonergic properties, which can also produce unpleasant side effects such as nausea, dizziness and upset stomach.
If you suffer from this condition, it’s important that you speak with your doctor to determine the best course of dermatillomania treatment for you.
The Facts About Obsessive Skin Picking
Skin picking or obsessive skin picking is a very common behavior disorder, and most people have heard of it or have experienced it at some point in their lives.
It is a repetitive behavior disorder, in which people unconsciously pick at their skin, often because they are irritated or stressed.
They do it on all areas of the skin, not just the area where they usually feel the pain or the itch. It is a chronic behavior that can cause scarring or even infection, so you need to be careful who you listen to or with what kind of advice you give them.
One thing you should definitely not do when you suffer from obsessive skin picking is to use any product on your skin that contains harsh chemicals.
This will only make the problem worse. It can also worsen if you use products with alcohol, fragrances, menthols or other chemicals that dry out the skin. Instead, find products that contain natural ingredients such as aloe vera, jojoba oil, vitamin E, or tea tree oil.
All of these natural ingredients are soothing and moisturizing to the skin, and many of them have been used for centuries to treat various skin ailments.
You should look for products containing these ingredients, because they work well to treat this obsessive behavior and relieve the itch, burn and redness that is caused by obsessive skin picking.
You need to know that obsessive skin picking is not something that you should be embarrassed about, because it is a symptom of a much bigger problem in your body.
Pickers sometimes feel an obsessive need to control the amount of clutter and mess inside their homes, which causes them to pick.
Their obsession is so bad that they have been known to destroy objects they are not sure if it is harmful or not. Other times they may intentionally hurt themselves to force themselves to stop.
If you have this disorder, know that there is help out there, and that you can get rid of obsessive skin picking forever. You just need to know how to get there.
Cause of Dermatillomania
The causes for Dermatillomania cannot be pinned down as the reason is perplexing. While this disorder can be found in around 1.4% of the world’s population, and it is increasing, it is still a mystery as to why this condition has only been diagnosed two decades after its discovery.
This is because the exact cause of Dermatillomania is not yet known – as of yet, there have been no concrete findings on why or how it manifests.
It has also been found out that about half of all patients with Dermatillomania also have OCD as well, meaning that a cluster of symptoms occurs together, which is thought to be one of the underlying reasons why people turn to Dermatillomania therapy.
With these facts in mind, it would seem like there is a connection between Dermatillomania and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, but as of the present time, doctors are not sure if the two conditions are truly related or one came first before the other.
In fact, the cause of Dermatillomania was not discovered until more than two decades ago. By that time, it was already well under scrutiny by psychiatrists because the cause of the condition was discovered to be hereditary.
People with this condition were found to have inherited certain genetic traits from their parents, which included having an obsession for grooming themselves, and being obsessed with neatness, which includes the use of organizational tools like trays, shower curtains and towels.
Because people with Dermatillomania often suffer from severe cases of anxiety, they are afraid that others will notice them and therefore are constantly grooming themselves to ensure that they look their best.
As mentioned above, the causes for Dermatillomania are not exactly known. However, those who suffer from this condition will often claim that they were born to live the life they do because it is what they “have always felt” like.
Others may say that they had always felt an intense urge to groom and clean their skin in order to improve their self-esteem. Some others may say that they just cannot help it – once their hair starts to fall out, there is nothing they can do to prevent this from happening.
With this said, the cause of Dermatillomania may not completely be known, but it is a definite possibility that the condition is hereditary or has something to do with how the brain of a person works.