I can't stop picking at my pimples. How do I break this habit?

"The kind of picking I do isn't a bad habit. It's a mental illness. The condition I've been diagnosed with, trichotillomania, is a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), a category of compulsive self-grooming actions that result in injury."

"I've tried to stop, of course. Iced the area to numb the urge. Basted my brows with Vaseline (maybe if the hairs are too slippery to pull?). I've bought self-help books and fidget toys and joined a 30-day habit-breaking group online. If wanting and willpower were enough, I'd look like Brooke Shields from the forehead up. But I don't."

"You say you cannot stop picking though, so it might be helpful to visit a [mental health professional]. There is a related skin picking condition called dermatillomania. Obviously, I can't diagnose you over the internet, but the compulsive nature suggests professional evaluation is warranted."

A person struggling with compulsive skin picking around their period seeks advice on stopping the behavior. The advice columnist responds by sharing their own 20-year experience with trichotillomania, a compulsive hair-pulling disorder affecting their eyebrows. Despite trying numerous self-help methods including numbing, fidget toys, and habit-breaking groups, willpower alone proved insufficient. The columnist explains that such picking behaviors are not simple bad habits but body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs)—mental illnesses requiring professional intervention. They suggest the questioner may have dermatillomania, a related skin-picking condition, and recommend consulting a mental health professional for proper diagnosis and treatment.

Read at www.theguardian.com