Stop picking my fingers

I have been picking since i was about 2. At least thats what my mom told me. I do it when ever im stressed or extremely bored. when i was 2 my dad used to go away overseas on navy trips and that apparently stressed me out alot. I never thought it was bad till i got older now im 16. and im going! to stop at least im going to try. It makes me fell better to know that i am not the only one :)

I’m writing this in the hope that it will make me confront my addiction/disorder/whatever it is classes as. I’ve been picking my fingers since 5/6 years old. I am now 21. I realise that I worry about EVERYTHING and that is the reason I do it. I try to make a conscious decision not to do it but after 3/4 goes during the day I always slip and forget about it. My GP told me to keep my hands moisturised all the time but I lead a busy lifestyle. My mother suggested putting plasters on my thumbs but I don’t want that kind of aid. I want, like you all want I am sure, to consciously turn off this habit. Hopefully I can stop! let me know how it goes for you guys!

I just ran into this website a little while ago because I’m tired of having this disgusting habit of picking at my fingers. The same reasons for why some of you people who do it are the same reasons for why I do it; being nervous, anxious, fear. I keep telling myself to stop but then all of a sudden im back at it without even realizing it. I do it all the time, my fingers never heal and are always scabbed, sore, red and bleeding. I usually get at my 2 thumbs, index fingers. My right thumb looks like it has some sort of disease. In public im always trying to hide my thumb but sometimes i notice ppl looking at it and they ask why my thumb looks like that. I just tell em that my thumb got stuck in car door and never healed properly, most ppl know that its a lie but i always do my best to switch the subject to something completely different.

I had the habit of biting my nails when i was a kid but i stopped that. I just cant seem to stop picking the skin off my fingers, I dont know what it is or how to stop. I actually think for me its psychological or than just boredom.

If theres anyone out there that has a good way to stop or the best way to get out of this habit I would greatly appreciate any feedback about this. I’ve been picking my fingers since I was a kid, I’m 24 and about to have a baby girl soon. i dont want her dad to think im a freak.

My skin picking is so bad. I’ve been doing it since 18 and am almost 25. But I noticed that I don’t just pickmine at certain times, it’s constantly. Even when I’m driving my hands are going and picking the skin. I hate it and everyone always comments on whats wrong with my nails. They’re always red and hurting and no matter how much skin I pick off I seem to run them only to make more. I pick them so much that my hands feel like thy have arthritis in them from always bending the finger to pick. I get out nail clippers an will say ok I’m gonna get all the loose skin off and then I’m gonna stop. I keep lotion everywhere so I can always moisturiZe. I stated getting manicures think that would help but it didn’t and my husband used to make me get fake nails cause he saw it was harder for me to pick when it wasn’t my real nails. I hate this and I want to stop so bad but don’t know how! I don’t know why I do it and why I can’t stop or if
Maybe there is just something wrong. Any thougts or help?!?

I have realized that I need to “detach myself from the craving” (this is something I lectured to my students about in the Drugs & Behavior class I teach at a community college). I can’t give excuses anymore, I can’t “kind of” pick…I just have to not touch my fingers at all.

This is similar to when I was starting my recovery from bulimia. The hardest part was re-training my body to accept the feeling of fullness; not necessarily overfullness, but even just the right or normal amount of food. My stomach was trained to be ready to empty its contents when filled, so I had to learn to just sit…and be…and live with the feeling of being nourished. It was so uncomfortable at first, but I found that drinking a big glass of ice water and then moving on to another task that engaged my mind was the perfect solution. Now I don’t think twice about it – I eat healthy portions of good food and live my life.

As far as wanting to pick, I’m getting much better at finding the times when my fingers and thumbs want to come together and tear at each other. I counteract it by making an over-the-top gesture to spread them out and move them away from my line of sight. That is my mental note to get my hands engaged in another task. I am denying myself the satisfaction of that “feels so good” or tension release that I am looking for and directing that energy elsewhere. If I keep it up, I will eventually no longer associate picking my fingers with feeling good because I won’t have felt it for so long.

Interested to hear what others think!

It’s really comforting to know I’m not the only one who does this. I think I started around 8th grade and it’s worsened since then. I’m 17 now. I only do it when I’m thinking really hard, studying, stressed, or a combination of all those things.
It’s like this one little piece of skin or texture on your finger that doesn’t feel right, so you have to keep picking at it even if it bleeds. I’ve had people ask me in the past, “what happend to your finger?” and I never know what to say. How the hell am I supposed to explain it?
I’ve actually been good about stopping lately though. Maybe because I’m happy.

I have done this since I was in second grade. The years of bleeding sore fingers has to stop. I’m already 31 now. My boyfriend keeps talking about an engagement. I don’t want him to get down on one knee to propose and take my hand in his just to see bloody fingers!!! Yuck! What a turn off! Help!!!!!

*I am wearing a hairband around my wrist and snap it when I feel the urge to pick or when I notice that I’ve unconciously been picking.

• When I feel an urge to pick, I shake both hands vigerously or clasp them together tightly

This hasn’t been a great week for this goal. I know it’s stress related.

I have this terrible habit of picking my fingers. It’s really more the cuticle than the nails. The only way I seem to stave this habit off is by going for a manicure. Since I’ve had my son (six months ago) I’ve only had one manicure. It’s difficult to find time for something like that; it feels somewhat trivial. Now that I’m writing about it, I realize that this is essential for me to meet this goal. And taking time out for myself once a month shouldn’t be so hard. I’m sure I can find a way to work this out. My husband is very supportive of my personal beauty regimen. It’s really up to me to make this a priority. I can do it!

I just started picking my fingers while reading speech08’s entries. BAH!