Q: Hi, I have been having issues with excessively picking my bottom lip since I was about 18. At the age of 18, I was diagnosed with anxiety/depression and I have struggled with this picking ever since. I start by picking a dry piece of skin and then I continue to pick the same spot until it bleeds. Then, I rub a tissue over the wound really fast until it makes it bleed more. I recently stopped taking Zoloft (25 mg) in which I had been taking for depression/anxiety since December of 2005. While I was on the Zoloft, I hadn’t really been picking, but since I stopped taking it, I’ve been starting back again. I wish I could continue to take Zoloft, but I cannot afford it. Anyway, my question is, what could be causing this? I have no suicidal thoughts and I don’t really think about anything while I’m picking except that it feels good. I’ve often wondered if maybe it was OCD. I have some OCD tendencies like compulsive list-making. I would just really like to know what to do, because my lip looks awful! Thanks in advance…
A: Generally speaking issues like this are usually anxiety related but the difficulty is that they eventually become habitual behaviors that you can do unconsciously. If taking the Zoloft helped then I would try to investigate ways to stay on it. You may be able to talk to your doctor about your finances and get some samples or sometimes the pharmaceutical companies have programs for clients who have financial hardship. You may also try to investigate if there is a generic for the medication you are on and if not, see if there is one for an anti-depressant in the same class as the one you are on. There are some natural herbal remedies that have similar effects such as St. John’s Wort or Kava Kava but I would suggest you do some research on these as well. And finally, hypnosis has had good results with anxiety issues that tend to become habitual, such as picking at your skin, biting nails, etc. Ask around or look on the internet to find a hypnotherapist that is a licensed therapist, counselor or psychologist to be on the safe side. Good luck with your issue.
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