So, quite a while ago, I had Dr Oz on as background noise, when I heard two words: skin picking.
My first thought was, “Umm... ew.” He brought to the stage a woman who had her arms and legs fully covered. He asked if she would be comfortable showing her skin so we could see what this skin picking looks like. When she showed the camera, my thought changed to, “Oh. That’s what my arms look like.”
I’ve been picking at my arms, on and off, for years. They look absolutely awful. Open sores covered in bandages, scars at various levels of red, and the self-conscious thoughts that everyone is staring.
I did my research, and found out that this particular mental illness is associated with OCD, but no known actual cause for it. And it affects women more than men.
Naturally, I didn’t want to add this to my already long list of diagnoses. Who would? But I couldn’t deny it anymore. I decided I was tired of looking like a leper, and even more tired of the pain. So, I tried to think of something I could do. Then it hit me: Sleeves.
Keep in mind, that I have never liked long sleeves. Even in the dead middle of winter, my sleeves are pushed up to my elbows. I just hate them. So, I thought, what about something tight? Something that I couldn’t push out of the way? So I found some light compression sleeves.
I have had these on for just four days, but holy cannoli! The redness is way down, and the open spots are actually healing!
No, this is neither a cure, nor medical advice. But it’s a start. For me, at least. If you’re one of the not-so-blessed, I’d really suggest you try the simple, quick fix until you can get the help you need.
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