Opioids Obsessive skin picking (or other habits) while high on opiods

[EllenCherryCharles]

Hey everyone, I am an on and off IV heroin user. Generally speaking, I have an obsessive compulsive skin picking obsession, whether or not I am high. Its not so bad that I have lots of ripped off skin or anything like that, but I do pick at the skin around my fingernails pretty obsessively. Its a symptom of anxiety that I have experienced my entire life. It waxes and wanes - on days or in moments where I am experiencing a particularly high level of anxiety, I pick at my skin more.

However, ever since I began using opiates years ago, I noticed that when I am high I extremely obsessively pick at my skin, in one spot in particular. Its interesting to me because when I am high, I am not experiencing anxiety - and least not on a noticeable physical level like when I am sober. But when I'm high, I literally cannot stop. There is one spot in particular on my index finger that I have picked at for ages. I pick at it until it is impossible to pick at anymore, and then I just apply pressure to it excessively to make it hurt. Weird, I know, but it's that kind of enjoyable pain like scratching an itch.

Does anyone else experience this? I would include a picture but I don't know how =/

 

[gingerbaker]

It's my understanding that trich, dermatillomania, et al. are all obsessive-compulsive disorders (which could be aggravated by anxiety, but not neccessarily be caused by it).

It could be that due to the decrease in nociception caused opioids, you are not getting the "relief" from the sensation of picking that you do when you are not. Basically, since you can't feel the effect of the picking, you are prone to continue.

 

[StartedHydro]

Yes, I do as well. Except its no isolated to one spot. I generally find myself searching for clogged pores and cleaning them out. Ill spend hours looking for tiny tiny blackheads mostly on upper back or face region. It's crazy because I never had acne nor do I have problems with blackheads but if I'm home and IV heroin rest assured ill be searching.

 

[kthxbi]

i thought it was a standard. in terms of less physically harming but probably more obvious at the time things, i always have my leg going off- constantly. soon as i've been slammin to a level where i'm actually gettin fucked up, my leg just goes off like it's pedalling a bike pump or something. lasts for hours. that's what always gets me figured out first.

 

[EllenCherryCharles]

@Gingerbaker: I understand the OCD spectrum of behavior. As I said, I've suffered from it for as long as I can remember and am not in need of a lesson on what skin picking is. That aside, you posit an interesting theory, but I do not believe it to be related to 'nociperception' as the pain is equal whether I am high or not. If you have an excoriation disorder, picking does not actually cause relief, definitely not in the sense that if you feel pain you no longer feel the urge to pick. If anything, the sensation of pain is generally a reward, not a deterrent.

Anyway, no matter the state of consciousness, it is certainly a psychological phenomenon, but not a result of a lessening sensation of pain.

To avoid this thread needing a psychology text book companion, let me rephrase: My question is and was if anyone else with derma/trich or any form of excoriation experiences a stronger urge to do it after taking opiates. NOT what pathological skin picking is. Like, do you find that you bite your fingernails more when you're high? Or do you pick at acne more? Etc. Wanting to know if anyone else can relate, not what it is.

StartedHydro and Kthxbi, thank you for that feedback! These are the kinds of replies I'm interested in.

 

[kthxbi]

sorry - now that i'm a little more sober (or at least, on more uppers rather'n downers) i might have a little more of interest to say.

it's well known that itching is a side effect of dope. i get it waaaaaaaaay more when i'm really, really high - i don't get it as a specific thing to a local area though, i kinda find myself scratching all around my head and ribs mostly but never just one spot. one thing i will say though is i DEFINITELY find it to be a nervous thing - for instance today, i shot a pretty big speedball for my current tolerance and then got on a tube (subway for the americans out there) journey almost immediately after which was pretty crowded and pretty long, maybe 30 minutes in total underground, 35 maybe? the itch became so intense that it was nauseating and dizzying - within about 5-10 minutes of getting out of the underground and having a very slow beer i felt better, but it seemed very tied in with some kind of paranoia, shock of how strong the shot was & almost a ''first cigarette / first joint'' type rush of blood to the head that accompanied the underground.

soon as i get into a comfortable position it's much, much less pronounced. and i find this on acid too - as soon as i find a position i'm comfortable with - maybe getting into a private place and hitting some nice music for a while for instance, i get way, WAY less antsy.

ring any bells?

 

[gingerbaker]

@Gingerbaker: I understand the OCD spectrum of behavior. As I said, I've suffered from it for as long as I can remember and am not in need of a lesson on what skin picking is. That aside, you posit an interesting theory, but I do not believe it to be related to 'nociperception' as the pain is equal whether I am high or not. If you have an excoriation disorder, picking does not actually cause relief, definitely not in the sense that if you feel pain you no longer feel the urge to pick. If anything, the sensation of pain is generally a reward, not a deterrent.

Anyway, no matter the state of consciousness, it is certainly a psychological phenomenon, but not a result of a lessening sensation of pain.

To avoid this thread needing a psychology text book companion, let me rephrase: My question is and was if anyone else with derma/trich or any form of excoriation experiences a stronger urge to do it after taking opiates. NOT what pathological skin picking is. Like, do you find that you bite your fingernails more when you're high? Or do you pick at acne more? Etc. Wanting to know if anyone else can relate, not what it is.

StartedHydro and Kthxbi, thank you for that feedback! These are the kinds of replies I'm interested in.

No need to be snarky, I was just trying to help.

 

[Subugramis]

I have the exactttt same problem. Did you already have compulsions to pick at yourself before you started opiates? I've done it since I was a small child. Nervous habit I suppose, opiates just exacerbate it and make me do it 10x more. haha. Nice to know I'm not the only one though, I thought I was just insane.

 

[EllenCherryCharles]

Yeah, you're not alone! Crazy, right? I've always had the compulsion it's just way worse when I'm high. I have no idea why but its good to know that its not just me!

 

[Effect]

Yes, I do as well. Except its no isolated to one spot. I generally find myself searching for clogged pores and cleaning them out. Ill spend hours looking for tiny tiny blackheads mostly on upper back or face region. It's crazy because I never had acne nor do I have problems with blackheads but if I'm home and IV heroin rest assured ill be searching.

Although I hate to admit it, I used to do this exact thing so much. I've drastically reduced how often because I don't use full agonists too often anymore plus one time I went crazy with it and it looked like I had chicken pox.

 

[RustedHalo]

Yes, I will sit in front of the 10x magnification of my makeup mirror and go to town while high on opioids. It's one of the reasons I hardly ever do them anymore. no matter how much I tell myself "don't do that, you will regret it!", I just can't stop. Last time it was so bad I had to tell everyone I was in a minor accident and the airbag deployed because it was so embarrassing.

**Of note, naloxone is used as a treatment for dermatillomania.**