BACKGROUND: WHAT’S GOING ON DOWN THERE?
Distress and Your Skin
The above list is not meant as a condemnation, but as a reference for people who happen to have developed some bad habits to deal with conflict in their lives. If you do any of the above, don’t feel like you are crazy. Only a very small portion of the people who self inflict wounds are psychotic. Almost every human being in the civilized world treats themselves poorly at one time or another. Some work too hard, some drink too much, some eat junk foods, some rage themselves into a heart attack, some isolate themselves into unhappiness and the list goes on… All of these self defeating behaviors are examples of what are called ‘fractional suicides’ and I would venture to say everyone has been guilty of at least one of them in their lifetime whether or not they were consciously aware of it. Being shameful of your bad habits is not necessary, nor will it do anything to help habits heal.
We all develop ways of coping with emotional distress. You happened to chose a way that is more apparent to the world around you. I have often felt that in retrospect that every time I went to pick on my face, it was really an attempt to let the world know just how much emotional pain I was in. It was like a badge for people to take notice of the depths of my soul. Picking is a cry for help in so many ways.
And it is a dramatic one.
When you chose to pick, it ultimately IS A CHOICE to pick. You can chose to get help and stop or possibly get worse at it.
