I'm too embarrassed to admit this to anyone I know, so I joined this forum to talk about it. I've always liked picking scabs even though I know it's disgusting. I don't pop pimples or physically harm myself in any way, but I can't help but pick scabs. It's so bad that—I can't believe I'm admitting to this, it's so gross—I even pick my cat's scabs.
I know this is a common addiction, but in my case I wouldn't call it an addiction, and it's not so severe that it interferes with my everyday life or causes bad scarring. It's just, if a scab happens to be there, I have to pick it. Usually if the scab is fresh and it would be painful/bloody to pick, I leave it alone.
I also have a compulsion to pick visible dead skin from my boyfriend's hair. He gets these huge flakes that I wouldn't consider dandruff. It's probably a form of eczema. They show up clearly against his dark hair, so it's partly that I don't want him walking around with visibly huge flakes in his hair, but I'll admit I get the same bizarre enjoyment out of it. I know it's weird, so I force myself not to do it unless it looks so bad that I'm doing him a favor.
How abnormal is this? I've done some "research" (Google) and read about common disorders it's associated with, but in my case, is it severe enough to warrant concern? I mean, apparently some people EAT the scabs (eeeeewww!!!) and some people pick their own scabs so much that they're severely scarred.
I blame my mom. She compulsively pops pimples (including mine when I was a kid, uuuuugh) and pulls out hair. I think the frustration from this, when I was a kid, might have caused me to pick scabs.
EDIT: I'd just like to add, I ALWAYS wash my hands after. If that makes it any less gross. I'm sort of a germophobe. (I know, compulsive picker + germophobe makes no sense!)
