Obsessions and compulsions around skin picking and eating

[SarahBear]

Has anyone else dealt with this? My 6 year old had an uptick of anxiety and obsessions starting around the start of the year. It started with wanting to know things like whether or not the front door was locked and then asking about dates on foods and asking whether or not foods have gone bad. Neither of these behaviors have spiraled out of control. Another behavior that popped up, however, is skin picking. I don't remember exactly when this started, but it's been a long time... She has picked a spot on the back of her neck that she is not allowing to heal. She has also re-opened a couple other spots on her back. She seems to have an overwhelming impulse to pick at it and now she has the impulse to eat her scabs as well.

I have tried giving her alternative behaviors. I have tried covering it with a bandaid. I have tried talking to her about it. I have tried seeking her input on it I think it would be worse with zero intervention, but I don't know what to do... I finally took a picture of it to show to her since she can't see it. I will try this approach, so she can be more aware of the damage she is doing. I worry about it, but I don't know what to do... She is in behavioral therapy and I asked them to address this and she's going to get a neuropsych evaluation done next week Friday, so hopefully they'll have some insight... So no I'm not just relying on the internet, but has anyone else here dealt with anything like this? Any tips or suggestions?

 

[ClairAye]

My son is a picker but nothing too serious yet, he just makes small marks on his hands and face but I try to give him things to fidget with. He has a fidget cube, a baby teether with different textures and chewlery. I can't say for sure if it helps but I read in support groups I'm in for his additional needs that often parents give things like this or even gloves to stop some of the damage being done.

 

[_Meep_]

I do this with the skin on my fingers. Always have done. For me, it was and still is an anxiety response. I was also a nail biter until I was in my 20s. I don't even realise I am doing it, but I can force myself to stop if I need my fingers to look 'nice' - say if I'm going to go to a wedding or something lol. I'll always start back up again, but it doesn't affect my life other than meaning my fingertips look horrible if I go crazy on them.

It will most likely be a response to her anxiety, so if you deal with that, one would hope the behaviour might stop?

In the meantime, I suppose you have to break the cycle in order to lessen the severity of her picking. She may be too old to tolerate something like a set of ScratchSleeves, but as the PP suggested, perhaps you could get her to wear gloves?

 

[SarahBear]

Well, we got a few more diagnoses now. She already has a diagnosis of epilepsy and now ADHD, generalized anxiety, and something else I don't remember the name of (will see on the report when I get it). The third diagnosis has to do with the impairments (mostly motor skills) that are a complication of the epilepsy and and medications. Her fine motor skills are at a standard score of 58. I had no idea they were so low! I knew they were low, but not quite that level. They said she doesn't have enough symptoms for an OCD diagnosis, but that we need to keep an eye out for it.

 

[_Meep_]

Gosh - so much going on for her. Does she have any therapy for her motor skills?

 

[SarahBear]

No, she does not have any therapy for her motor skills. I guess I didn't realize they were so low. I knew it wasn't a strength, but I just assumed she was a little slower in that area, but fine. I will be asking for the school district to reconsider an IEP with fine motor skills included in it.

 

[SarahBear]

OK, I edited above. Her motor skills aren't 58th percentile. They are a STANDARD score of 58.

 

[_Meep_]

58 out of what? Not sure how it works ...

 

[SarahBear]

58 out of what? Not sure how it works ...

Are you familiar with IQ? It's the same scale. So it's below the first percentile. So if you lined up 100 kids and looked at their fine motor skills, hers would be the worst.

 

[_Meep_]

Ah that makes sense now. Poor kid - hope you can get her the help she needs to improve, and f*ck epilepsy, seriously ...

 

[alibaba24]

There is a brilliant group on Dermotillamania on Facebook. My daughter goes through phases with this . Last summer she made a terrible mess of her hands. The group helped massively as it gives a real insight into why people pick and what helps direct from people who suffer from this

 

[SarahBear]

My daughter has actually stopped with the picking! We used a variety of cognitive behavioral strategies as well as an incentive when her back healed completely. I'm sure this is something we will need to keep our eyes out for... also she has picked up the habit of peeing in random places, since she has stopped picking... but hopefully she is on the right track with things. Anxiety is still an issue and turning her world upside down by planning to move isn't helping, but improvement is happening.