Skin Picking Depression and its Effects
Skin Picking Disorder or Compulsive Skin Picking (CSP) is defined as a habitual picking of skin lesions or excessive scratching, squeezing, or picking of unhealthy skin.
Initially, it is perceived to be a result of poor hygiene but they are unaware that there are neurological repercussions connected with this condition.
This condition manifest itself during a person’s teen years, up to his or her 20’s. This usually happens when the person is coping with depression or anxiety but yet he or she is not fully conscious that the skin is already being picked. Individuals who are suffering from skin picking disorder frequently have co-existing psychiatric disorder. The common psychological disorder connected to this condition is OCD or obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Skin picking depression is caused by high levels of stress, anxiety, or depression resulting to the urge to constantly pick the skin. Scratching or skin picking, for some people, it provides a feeling of relief or pleasure. However unconscious skin picking may lead to minor scrapes to obliteration of the skin itself. Bleeding, bruising and infections are very common. It affects an individual’s social life and relationships because skin picking leads to permanent disfigurement. Sufferers will try to conceal the skin damage cosmetically or wearing thick clothing. In severe cases, the sufferers become recluse themselves to avoid people seeing them in such conditions.
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Skin-picking depression can be treated immediately. The treatment, however, is dependent on the level of awareness of the patient to the problem.
Skin-picking depression is treated with psychotherapy because it is stemming from a psychological disorder. Two approaches of this treatment are Habit Reversal Training and Exposure and Responsive Prevention.
OCD or Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder medications are used to treat skin-picking depression. Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors, which include fluxetine, setraline, and paroxetine are the drugs that are utilized for CSP.
Research also suggests that therapy to combat depression is a successful method to counteract skin picking. Alleviating neurotic excoriation is not a difficult process. Better get a consultation with a psychiatrist or psychologist first.
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