How Are OCD and Compulsive Skin Picking Related?
Skin picking comes under the category of impulse control disorders. Impulse control disorders refer to those in which individuals find it extremely hard to resist to act on an impulse which might be harmful to them or to others. Generally, there is some sort of tension or stress before the act and a feeling of relief or even pleasure after the action is completed. Compulsive skin pickers usually cause harm to their own selves in order to relieve some sort of tension. In some cases, the skin pickers seem to derive a lot of pleasure from this act of self-damage. A probable reason why skin picking can help in relieving stress temporarily is that it provides distraction to the people from the stressors in their life. Instead of focusing on those things and situations in their life which are leading to stress, skin pickers want to get their minds off and hence indulge in skin picking. However the relief from stress is only temporary. And by ignoring the problem, it won’t go away on its own.
