When I met my boyfriend I had a really bad nervous habit of digging at my hangnails. I would dig so badly that they would bleed every single one of them. He urged me to stop doing it, it was very hard for me since I have done this my entire life. Luckily I managed to get it under control. :) But over the last couple of weeks my boyfriend has been asking me if I have lice or fleas. Because I have started to scratch so badly. I thought maybe I was allergic to something, so I changed all my soaps. Even my laundry soap. Yesterday morning I scratched my leg so badly that It started bleeding. I am curious if there is a deeper explanation then the fact I'm itchy. So now I am starting to wonder if I replaced digging at my hangnails to scratching. I am wondering if this is a form of cutting, self harm? Due to stress. Any advice?
Hi Carissa
Is your skin honestly itchy or are you scratching when you are feeling stressed? If you are wondering about this...there could be an association. Are you seeing a therapist at all? I would start by ruling out some sort of allergy or eczema...by seeing your regular general practitioner. If it is not caused by a medical issue then you can explore seeing if there is a psychological cause.
Maybe for now...you can keep some data...write down when you do scratch and what had happened prior to your scratching.
Let us know how things go. If there is anything we can help you with...let us know.
Carissa, itching is one of the least understood sensory experiences. There
was a great article in The New Yorker magazine a couple of years back by Dr. Atul Gawande (a surgeon and writer on health issues) about how hard itching is to diagnose and treat. http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2008/06/30/080630fa_fact_gawande.
I think MerelyMe's advice is exactly right -- try to keep track of how frequently you do it and see if there's a pattern around when you feel the urge to scratch, if it's getting better or worse. If you have an iPhone or iPad, you can download an app called HabitWatch that lets you track stuff like itching very quickly. Then you should take your record to your doctor or therapist and have them review it.
You should see your doctor about this problem soon if you are scratching yourself to the point of bleeding at night and don't have any skin irritation that might be an obvious cause.
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