Joined
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52 Posts
Hey all,
It has been a while since I posted here. January of 08, I reluctantly went to see a someone and got prescribed Zoloft. Since then, my SA has improved dramatically. I am now up to 100mg daily. My friends have noticed a change, and I managed snagged myself a boyfriend who has also helped me to boost my confidence.
I realize I will never be completely outgoing and will always have anxieties about specific social situations. Calling people is still very hard, as is seeking any sort of help. There are also a lot of service industry related anxieties.. regarding etiquette, tipping, ordering, etc.
Anyway, the beauty of the psychotherapist (I think that's the right title) who prescribed me my medication .. is that I didn't have to talk a lot (that is, cry a lot). I told her about the skin picking on my fingers, and she said the Zoloft would probably help.
It did help a lot (though I still sometimes pick), but has caused me to refocus my attention. Now I pick at the soles/heels of my feet. They are swollen and raw, sometimes bloody, and sometimes I cannot wear shoes or even walk because of it. This problem has created a new anxiety for me in that.. well, this is embarrassing, there are pieces of skin like. Everywhere in my apartment. Luckily my boyfriend is has not noticed, but in my mind its only a matter of time before he does, and figures out what these little hard snowflakes on the ground are, and then freaks out and leaves.
I cannot think of how to stop picking at my feet. My mother, who is aware of it (because when I was visiting home she saw my feet and the pieces of skin I littered about her floor) cries and then gets angry at me because I refuse to seek help (SA prevents me from calling my doctor). Not only that, because I have no idea of what kind of treatment is available.. (how would CBT be applied to something like this?), I am afraid of diving in with no sense of what temperature the water is.
Does anyone have experience with treating (not just engaging in) skin picking while also suffering from SA? What helped?
I've tried bandages, wearing socks, shoes. Etc.
What I notice when I'm picking--which is either casual (ie, while I'm doing something else) or focused (sitting down with tweezers in hand and foot to face) is that I am not necessarily thinking anxious thoughts. I'm just thinking.. intensely.
Anyway. Any sort of response is welcome.
This community is awesome.
It has been a while since I posted here. January of 08, I reluctantly went to see a someone and got prescribed Zoloft. Since then, my SA has improved dramatically. I am now up to 100mg daily. My friends have noticed a change, and I managed snagged myself a boyfriend who has also helped me to boost my confidence.
I realize I will never be completely outgoing and will always have anxieties about specific social situations. Calling people is still very hard, as is seeking any sort of help. There are also a lot of service industry related anxieties.. regarding etiquette, tipping, ordering, etc.
Anyway, the beauty of the psychotherapist (I think that's the right title) who prescribed me my medication .. is that I didn't have to talk a lot (that is, cry a lot). I told her about the skin picking on my fingers, and she said the Zoloft would probably help.
It did help a lot (though I still sometimes pick), but has caused me to refocus my attention. Now I pick at the soles/heels of my feet. They are swollen and raw, sometimes bloody, and sometimes I cannot wear shoes or even walk because of it. This problem has created a new anxiety for me in that.. well, this is embarrassing, there are pieces of skin like. Everywhere in my apartment. Luckily my boyfriend is has not noticed, but in my mind its only a matter of time before he does, and figures out what these little hard snowflakes on the ground are, and then freaks out and leaves.
I cannot think of how to stop picking at my feet. My mother, who is aware of it (because when I was visiting home she saw my feet and the pieces of skin I littered about her floor) cries and then gets angry at me because I refuse to seek help (SA prevents me from calling my doctor). Not only that, because I have no idea of what kind of treatment is available.. (how would CBT be applied to something like this?), I am afraid of diving in with no sense of what temperature the water is.
Does anyone have experience with treating (not just engaging in) skin picking while also suffering from SA? What helped?
I've tried bandages, wearing socks, shoes. Etc.
What I notice when I'm picking--which is either casual (ie, while I'm doing something else) or focused (sitting down with tweezers in hand and foot to face) is that I am not necessarily thinking anxious thoughts. I'm just thinking.. intensely.
Anyway. Any sort of response is welcome.
This community is awesome.