When Self Help Becomes A Compulsion -DERMATILLOMANIA

Dermatillomania, also known as an excoriation disorder, or compulsive skin picking, is a psychological condition that becomes evident in the form of, scratching, picking, repetitive touching, and digging of one's own skin. Dermatillomania is an impulse-control disorder and one of several body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB) currently classified in the DSM-5 as Obsessive Compulsive and Related Disorders.

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Dermatillomania or excoriation disorder affects up to five (5) percent of the world's population and women are the major patients, as approximately about seventy-five (75%) of those are female. The difference between dermatillomania and normal picking at skin imperfections and irregularities, is that the behavior is chronic, results in tissue damage, and causes the individual marked distress and dysfunction.

Some repetitive motions of dermatillomania also includes picking, pulling, scraping, and even biting of the skin for hours each day, this often results in, scarring, lesions, discoloration, tissue damage etc. Also aside from the physical side effects, it could also cause very significant disruption to one’s daily life. Dermatillomania isn’t actually something you could get from others; not contagious , rather it is a body-focused repetitive behavior which typically occurrence during the adolescence stage of development, this follows the on-set of puberty during the ages of 13-15. That being said, it could also occur among children under ten (10) years old, and also adults between the ages of thirty (30) and forthy-five (45).

According to Mental Health America, dermatillomania affects approximately 1.4% of American adults, and is experienced by women more often than men.

Dermatillomania - Causes
For now, all result of current research reveals that skin picking is connected to genetic per-dispositions, although environmental conditions such as environment, family situations, temperament could also play a critical role.

It is general believed by some experts that it is a maladaptive way (an adaptive behavior that is actually harmful as opposed to helpful) which people cope with emotional stress. Skin picking, thus becomes a way to deal with obsessive thoughts, avoidance, anxiety and even boredom.

Dermatillomania - Signs And Symptoms
Dermatillomania or excoriation disorder is currently listed and classified as an obsessive-compulsive and related disorder in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5).

The DSM-5 diagnostic criteria include:

• Repetitive skin picking that results in skin lesions
• Repeated attempts to stop the behavior
• The symptoms cause clinically significant distress or impairment
• The symptoms are not caused by a substance or medical, or dermatological condition
• The symptoms are not better explained by another psychiatric disorder

Persons who engage in skin picking usually pick from multiple body sites and they do so for a long period of time, with both the healthy and previously damaged skin in target. These targeted parts of the body will change after some time.

The rigidity of dermatillomania disorder varies as alot of people who struggle with skin picking display some noticeable skin damage, which they attempt to camouflage with clothing, make-up or any other means of concealing the affected areas. Due to embarrassment and shame individuals may also engage in avoidance behaviors, especially if such situations will lead them to feel vulnerable when discovered.

Dermatillomania - Treatment
There exist a number support groups for those suffering from Dermatillomania, although these only are not usually enough to help a person stop picking at his/her skin. Dermatillomania is often caused by psychological factors such as self-consciousness and anxiety, and these sorts of problems definitely require therapy. This form of therapy will focus basically on determining the root cause behind the Dermatillomania and the factors that cause specific individuals to to pick their skin compulsively.

The very nature of dermatillomania makes it quite important to discover if the behavior is a feature of excoriation disorder, or if it's caused for by another psychiatric disorder which will require treatment. For example, skin picking may be a symptom of the following:

Dermatological disorder, autoimmune disorder, body dysmorphic disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, substance abuse disorder (e.g opiate withdrawal), developmental disorder (e.g., autism spectrum disorder), or psychosis.

A full-comprehensive evaluation and accurate diagnosis is very vital in determining an appropriate and effective treatment plan.

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