Nibiruninki88 wrote:
You wrote, "I’m not sure if I should be part of this community, as I don’t have autism diagnosis, I feel lost."
Yes you have found the right place. You mentioned a couple characteristics that you have.
You wrote that you feel like "I’m not fully grown up." I would say the same thing about my self. If you look very deep inside me you will find the mind of a child, but a very, very smart child.
You wrote "my stimming does a harm to me - lip picking."
Yes these are some of our characteristics. Not mine but others on the site. When I was a young child, I had a trait, I was a thumb sucker. Any time I felt stress, I would suck my thumb. But my mom said "Stop That", so I did. I dropped it and substituted another trait to replace it. So instead of thumb sucking, I developed another trait like chewing my fingernails. When that became a problem, I picked another trait. After about 5 traits, I finally slid into a phase where I no longer had any negative traits.
About your stimming. Your brain has two sides. One on the left and one on the right. They are different brains. The brain on the left side is dominant. It is the one that allows you to speak. But your brain on the right side is different. It allows you to sing. There was a television program that showed this effect quite well a few years ago. It was about a teenage girl who found it very difficult to talk. She tried but all she could do was stimming. But then she began to sing and her voice was perfect. People were amazed at how she could sing. These abilities are in different parts of your brain. One on the right and one on the left side of your skull.
So if you are damaging your body by lip picking, change it to another trait. Pick something else that you can do that does not cause any body damage. According to the Internet,
Dermatillomania is a mental health condition where a person compulsively picks or scratches their skin, causing injuries or scarring. Also known as excoriation disorder or skin-picking disorder, this condition falls under the category of obsessive-compulsive disorders (OCDs). When it leads to significant scarring and injuries, this condition can severely affect a person’s mental health, well-being and quality of life.
MedicationsThe most common medications that healthcare providers prescribe to help treat this condition include:
-- Antidepressants. The most likely medications for this are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs).
-- Anticonvulsants. Lamotrigine is a medication that helps with uncontrollable muscle movements. Research shows it can help in some cases of dermatillomania.
-- Antipsychotics. These medications help by modifying the balance in your brain chemistry. These medications commonly treat many conditions like dementia, bipolar disorder and schizophrenia. Researchers are also continuing to look into how they can help treat conditions like dermatillomania.
-- Nutraceuticals. These are nutrition-related products that can also affect medical or mental health conditions. For dermatillomania, research has found that the amino acid supplement N-acetylcysteine can help reduce the urge to pick.
TherapiesPsychotherapy can help treat this condition in various ways, depending on the therapy method used.
-- Habit reversal therapy. This method involves helping you become more aware of your behaviors and activity patterns. By helping you become more aware, this therapy teaches you to break habits like skin picking.
-- Group therapy and peer support. People with dermatillomania may benefit from specific types of group therapy or support.
-- Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). This method involves teaching coping mechanisms and strategies to help change behavior.
-- Acceptance and commitment therapy. This therapy method helps people change behaviors like skin picking by accepting negative feelings that fuel the behavior. Mindfulness and other positive coping mechanisms also play a role.
So in my case, my mom just used Habit reversal therapy. When I was a child, My mom just screamed at me anytime I sucked my thumb.