OCD, Hair Pulling, Skin Picking Q&A with Amanda Petrik-Gardner

[@lovelyyluciddreams4352]

Was literally sitting here with tweezers pulling my leg hairs out thinking “oh well, I’m just always going to pick at my skin… might as well learn something while I’m doing it” and now I’m going to put these down and go to that website and see if there is someone around me that can help this. So, thank you!

[@ocdandanxiety]

You are so welcome!

[@deadmanowner12345]

Your Channel Has Helped Me In My Darkest Times…❤️

[@ocdandanxiety]

You're amazing! Thanks so much for sharing!

[@angielott83]

I’m a Registered Dietitian and with OCD I’d watch caffeine for sure, as it of course increases heart rate. There’s definitely a huge connection between what we eat and our mental health, even if it’s just in the form of the feelings we may attach to certain foods or eating patterns, etc. I’m getting off track a bit on OCD specifically, but that’s kind of the point. There isn’t anything clear cut that I’m aware of, but every individual needs to listen to themselves and decide for or against certain foods or patterns that promote their well-being, mentally included! The bigger conversation of course is learning also to not attach judgment to foods. If there is any guilt or negative feelings attached to a food or foods, it’s important to realize that with that next meal or snack, we try again. And again in a few hours, and again, etc. lots of opportunity for wins with food! 😎

[@ocdandanxiety]

Thanks so much for sharing your wisdom!!

[@celestialangelicvoice]

I have trichotillomania and I'm so grateful thank you so much for this 🥺❤️

[@ocdandanxiety]

You're so welcome! I'm going to do more, just dedicated to BFRBs! 😃

[@0826ah]

I am scared I’ll never be able to stop picking my scalp!

[@Herfemininerage]

After learning I had ocd there's also another interesting one to add to the list and that's nail ripping :) I skin pick, hair pull, and nail rip. I notice nail ripping isn't mentioned much? I have a lot sensory issues and mine are triggered by extreme boredom, anxiety and/or high distress. It starts with an itch and ends with relief after completing the action but I am trying to find ways to do these actions less.

[@johannajokiniemi5834]

Hi! Your channel has helped me so much🙏I was wondering if you could do a video about feeling guilty of taking your loved ones time and energy? I mean feeling guilty of how OCD affects your loved ones, and how to live with that feeling. This has been on my mind a lot lately, thank you🙏💗

[@chadgarber]

Good stuff as usual!

[@anne-laure6341]

Thank you so much Nathan and Amanda for what you are doing for sufferers! :) My question is: How do you practice acceptance without falling into sadness or even depression because the mere possibility that these thoughts could be true makes you feel awful? I struggle a lot with this and that stopped me from doing progress with ERP :/ (Shala Nicely talked about depression as a compulsion the other day and the more I think about it, the more it makes sense to me but I don't know how to get unstuck)

[@ocdandanxiety]

I love Shala NIcely! We tend to focus on problems if there are problems. We can't solve a "possibility". So we take value away by using a lot of maybe, maybe not statements. Some feel depression as a compulsion because they feel like they NEED to feel it for the intrusive thoughts that they have. When thoughts happen or the acceptance that there is a mere possibility, we still don't put any value on it. There is nothing to solve or fix in that specific moment.

[@itsjustmirah]

I have adhd and I take methylphenidate and now that I have been taking it for about 4 weeks now has brought on ocd like behavior that I cannot control such as mouth chewing , skin picking , eyebrow and eyelash pulling . Super embarrassing !

[@malkn1754]

I pull my eyelashes and eyebrows and I also pick my skin. I just want the feeling to go away

[@Mia-i6y9x]

​i skin pick quite a lot, and I do think I have OCD. But its hard to get diagnosed when your parents don't think anything's wrong.

[@ocdandanxiety]

That is tough. Sorry for what you're going through. You may show them some videos to help them understand what you're going through.

[@Mia-i6y9x]

@@ocdandanxiety yes, you are right. I never thought of that. Thank you! :)

[@janefaceinthewind6260]

I've found it impossible to find someone who is trained in this. I'm in the UK. I feel it's pretty hopeless and it's so sad.

[@joshuaoglesby1262]

thank you for your work ❤️

[@janefaceinthewind6260]

It is alarming how many therapists don't even know of dermatillomania and have to look it up. Mine had to. She was a nice lady but she didn't know anything about it which she said herself. She only found articles that mentioned that it is untreatable. She thought that it would be treatable with self love and relaxation. I felt it was worth a try but no. If someone ever finds out how to actually treat dermatillomania, they deserve a Nobel prize.

[@gabrielaespana9091]

My HOCD keeps bringing some memories that before didn’t mean anything and now I’m worried cuz I feel like they are using them as evidence of something I don’t want.

[@ocdandanxiety]

Sorry to hear this. OCD loves to take past memories and put a lot of meaning to it. We have to teach the body to see past experiences as experiences without putting value on it. Maybe this video can help. kzbin.info/www/bejne/onfGXmtve7CefqM

[@gabrielaespana9091]

@@ocdandanxiety thank you it really helped

[@ayaankhan8230]

I always see my nose in my vision please help me with this thing it is making my life worst

[@gotyy9022]

Thank you, your videos helped me so much. I think I'm in a place where I have no anxiety (or at least it seems so), but the thoughts still "bother me", as they want certainty. I ask myself: "why did I sometimes seem to like that thought? It must mean something... If it means something, then why does it bother you?". Again, no anxiety, just questions and questions. Am I supposed to treat this as rumination? Should I just go on with life and do what I want or is it a good time to actually analyse the thoughts? Often I isolate myself and try to free my mind from everything, so that I can find "the truth" behind these thoughts. But I guess it is a compulsion...

[@Robloxburnsinhell]

BYE FLESH

[@Mia-i6y9x]

Is it alright that I start the BFRB program even if I'm currently undiagnosed? I mean would that make it right?

[@ocdandanxiety]

It wouldn't hurt. It doesn't give you a diagnosis, but someone does a body-focused behavior and wants to learn the treatment, that's what this is for. 👍🏻

[@Mia-i6y9x]

@@ocdandanxiety great! Thank you so much!!✨

[@Robloxburnsinhell]

SAY GOODBYE TO MY FLESH PICKED OFF

[@matthewhobson4548]

👍🏼