What treatments exist for compulsive skin pickers?

What treatments exist for compulsive skin pickers?

I have a really bad habit of compulsively picking my skin. I know I should stop - sometimes I end up opening these extremely painful wounds, but I really am compulsive about it, I guess. What treatments exist for compulsive skin pickers?

2 Answers

Dr. Michele Casoli-Reardon

Psychiatrist

Salem, MA

Compulsive skin picking [called excoriating disorder] is a form of obsessive compulsive disorder and responds to the same treatment as OCD. Connecting with a therapist who specializes in treating OCD [treatment is Exposure Relapse Preventive Therapy] and starting one of the Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor antidepressants such as Prozac or Zoloft in combination, has the greatest efficacy and success rate.

Dr. David J. Koehn

Psychologist

Fort Myers, Florida

This link may help address your question:

https://ocdla.com/compulsiveskinpicking