Episode Seventeen: Dermatillomania- PICKING RECOVERY

Being On The Inside

Kirsty Alexander is a teacher on the Applied Gender Studies programme at the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, and a gardener at Ochil Tower School in Auchterarder. In this episode, she talks with me about living with Dermatillomania. Otherwise known as Excoriation or skin picking disorder. Skin picking disorder is one of a group of behaviours known as body-focused repetitive behaviours, it's currently classified as an impulse control disorder.

Kirsty allows us to hear her journey from diagnosis to acceptance and parts of what came before and after. We talk about behaviours that are developed because of anxiety following catastrophic events as a way of coping. That impulsive control disorders usually come alongside other mental health diagnoses. Kirsty shares openly and honestly how living with a largely stigmatised condition and how this has affected all aspects of her life and relationships. Whilst these at times have caused a large amount of suffering, she has an incredible viewpoint in her reflections of experience, which have brought her to even see the gains she has made from living through difficult times.

We chat about impermanence and death, learning about thought distortions and understating our own, why storytelling across history has a profoundly powerful place in our recovery and ability to understand the human condition, as a stepping stone towards healing and a source of comfort and teaching of endurance. We talk about the latest lockdown restrictions and where we are practically and mentally. Kirsty describes herself as a gold medallist in catastrophising, we acknowledge in this episode how we have been living through a collective catastrophe and how that impacts our lives.

Skin picking disorder is a largely stigmatised mental illness/condition, it is not easy to take centre stage and open up about things that carry these historical labels. Kirsty says in the podcast this is a gentle conversation on a relatively brutal subject. Kirsty sharing her story here is part of a larger conversation, not only raising awareness but telling her story so others can find the strength to tell theirs.

This podcast discusses issue some may find triggering, please take care when listening, if you have been affected by anything we have talked about today and or wish to find out more information:

Samaritans Scotland Helpline 116 123

CD UK https://www.ocduk.org Helpline 03332 127890

OCD Action UK https://ocdaction.org.uk Helpline 0845 390 6232