I've developed a horrible habit

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I hope this isn't a repeat thread but I did a quick look and didn't see anything like it. Although if my question is answered somewhere else it would be nice if someone could give me a link

Now the actual content. The habit I've developed is simply put as skinning my fingers. It started off as in social situations I would scratch at my thumbs and index fingers removing a layer or two, probably because of the stress or something related. Then it started getting worse, I would scratch and even bit until my fingers were bleeding. Last night I was all alone but just the thought of asking out the girl I like for me nervous enough to nearly chew my right index finger off, it's basically useless until it heals now (lucky I'm left handed).

I'm sure if I don't start to do something now its just going to get worse and I'm going to give myself permanent damage. I do this both consciously and subconscious and never really try to stop myself. Can somebody help me?


Edit: just to clarify chew my finger off was a hyperbole but its one of the worst I've ever done and that's added me also making my thumb bleed pretty bad too.

If you need to stim you are going to stim. Best thing would be to catch yourself doing it when you can and redirect that energy into another thing that works but is less destructive. Everyone is a bit different but I tap a LOT - finger, foot, whatever. Once healed you could try putting something nasty tasting on your fingers to help you notice when you're doing it.

You need meds for OCD. See your doctor before you really hurt yourself. Please.

How is that stimming?? Is jumping off a curb the same as jumping off a mountain??

I don't know who my doctor is, right now I don't think I even have set insurance until January. My dad has seen me scratch myself before, one of my other worst that I have scars from. He however threatened gloves and I'm not sure he would be understanding enough to get real help. I have problems trusting people and the anonymity here allows me to easily share here. I just honestly don't know who I can tell and get the help I need.


That's where the problem is. I after some time be it seconds or minutes realize what I'm doing and I just don't stop. I feel no motivation or reason to stop. It isn't until it starts to hurt a day later I realize what I've done is wrong, blood doesn't even stop me every time. I can try bad tasting not to realize I'm doing it but to help me not want to.

I do this. It gets so bad sometimes that every finger on my hands is just throbbing constantly
I am sometimes unaware I am doing it, but when I realise, I still don't stop. I enjoy it.
I have diagnosed OCD and take meds but they have never helped with this.

Would wearing gloves help? Making the skin less accessible. Or playing with a fidget toy if you feel anxious/nervous/stressed?

Edited to add: that's just a fix for the time being, you really need to see a doctor as soon as you can.

I have had this habit for as long as I can remember. If you look at my fingers, chances are you can see my flesh in at least one of them. And scabs on the rest of them. Curiously, although I am frequently chewing my fingers until they bleed (and the bleeding can last a few minutes), I do not feel pain. And I like doing that, even though I know I should not.

Dermatillomania is probably a better word for it... It's kind of an impulse control thing, like pulling out hair or chewing fingernails.

Seeing a doctor might help; it probably won't hurt, and anyway you could have somebody to look at your hands and possibly prescribe ointment that would prevent infection and scarring. While scars aren't usually a problem, it's still important to take care of the skin on your hands because if it gets too damaged, scar tissue can limit range of motion. That's why burns on the hands can be much smaller and still need medical attention.

It's something you should probably address; as far as things go, it's not a major physical or mental health problem, but just because it's not an emergency doesn't mean you can't ask for help. It does sound uncomfortable, and it could point to an underlying problem that you're trying to deal with by picking at your skin. Of course, it could just be a bad habit, but still, sometimes to break habits like that you need a bit of help.