Treating Dermatillomania

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Around 5 percent of the population has dermatillomania. It occurs to both men and women and may start as early as childhood. This affliction is now noticeable considering psychiatrists have pointed out that it is a form of impulse control disorder and it manifests through self-infliction and self mutilation. People who have CSP cannot resist their scratching to the point of obliteration of one’s skin.

This condition can become a major problem in one’s life. It can interfere with relationships, work and general happiness. Some people don’t consider CSP as a disorder that is why they don’t seek treatment. To add to that, they don’t know where to seek help. Fortunately, there are some psychological treatments and medication that helps skin picking disorder.

Medication. Skin picking treatments include the use of medications for obsessive compulsive disorder. It includes anti-depressants or Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors. These drugs may take several weeks before they become effective. There is no guarantee that the result would take a 180 degree turn. A 65 percentile improvement is already considered a passing grade. Medication goes hand in hand as a treatment and a tool in helping therapy.

Psychotherapy. Cognitive-behavior therapy is another form of treatment for CSP. There are different ways of treating skin picking. One is Competing Response; it is a technique intended to give the person an alternative activity than picking. It is a technique that makes sure the hands are always busy. Another approach is Habit Reversal Training (HRT), it is a four-step process that teaches the person how to relax, breath and feel centered. It also involves learning to perform muscle response exercises. This approach must be accompanied by self-monitoring, social support and stimulus control.

Natural Remedies. Other people take advantage of using B-vitamin inositol that helps reduce the urge to pick or pull. Vitamins is broken down to deal with serotonin in the brain.

The skin picking treatments are not permanent treatments. Every time one controls its desire to pick, the urge and yearning decreases. Once the desire to pick fades, these skin picking treatments become less necessary. Keeping the hands busy is a helpful treatment. Finger toys like koosh ball can be purchased online.



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