YOU ARE NOT ALONE - A companion online community discussion board for The Mental Illness Happy Hour podcast with Paul Gilmartin

I'm stumbling with dermatillomania. Processing negative thoughts with imperfect self-compassion. Skipped support group. I made myself 15 minutes late, then drove past. I have intrinsic worth as a human whether I attend group or not, although I have a flexible preference for attending group because I know from experience it helps me relate to other humans, for the most part.

I reached out to an old friend. My isolationist self has been existing in a house of people. It's a good thing for me to not be able to isolate myself, especially if my coping mechanism is to confide in another human. I am still able to have moments of solitude, hiding in the basement watching movies with my kitties.

Not turning on the light when I go into the bathroom is helping me avoid some skin picking.

Other self-care: journaling, downward dogs, goal setting, reading, using my words, sleep, yogurt, meditation, spending time with cats, coloring, tension tamer tea, limiting internet time, support group, imperfect self-compassion, writing sad/mad letters I do not send, etc.

Hello, hobojungle. I'm glad to see you posting about the dermatillomania.

That's still a fairly new word to me. It’s one of many things that "wasn't discussed" in my family, and "isn't discussed," mostly, where I've spent time since leaving home. I pick at myself, but this is maybe the first time I've said so; between shame about it and the greater urgency of other issues, I've never managed to begin dealing with it.

I admire the list you've developed of things that help. I may end up referring to that often.

Thanks for being open, and thus helping me allow a tiny bit of light into that particular closet of mine.

Namu