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Any tips on skin picking/ literally gouging my skin out. I struggle with dissociation and am diagnosed with a condition relating to that and to “ground” myself I’ll scratch the shit outta myself. Not really the best thing and I’d like so fix that 🥹
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Anonymous 8w

I used to smoke (cigs and crack) and smelling salts and that’s always “help” this but I quit a few years back and that’s when the scratching started. I’ve been craving a good smoke since entering college and just trying to find some sort of non harming alternative that’ll still give me that fix I’m craving.

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Anonymous 8w

I also struggle with scratching to ground myself/alleviate stress and one thing my therapist taught me that works pretty well is curling and scrunching your toes and holding all that tension for a while until it feels okay to release it. It gives me a non-harmful physical sensation to focus on and then the release helps calm my body and mind. Plus no one can really tell when you’re doing it so it’s not disruptive/distracting to do it in class. Lots of love and best wishes to you 🫶

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Anonymous replying to -> OP 8w

have u tried a hairtie and snapping it against ur wrist? u could do that for the same pain sensation or one of those spikey hand rollers. with the hairtie u could start rubber band, then hair tie, then scrunchie to ween urself off of the pain and be able to move to another stim?

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Anonymous replying to -> #1 8w

I have in the past, I’ve been interested in the spikey roller things they look like they’d give me a similar “puncture” feeling since I feel like that’s what I’m seeking out most

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Anonymous replying to -> #2 8w

I’ve heard of doing this unfortunately I’ve got arthritis and tendon/nerve damage in my hands 😭 it makes it hard to hold that position since my hands will get “stuck” in a way I’ve also done it with my feet before but lwk it always just made them cramp idk if I’m doing smth wrong or what

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