7:38am July 31, 2012

Picking

josiahd:

youneedacat:

josiahd:

Why is picking bad?

I can’t answer for anyone else. But for me? Because I’d rather not die of a staph infection or anything else let in through those channels.

It’s that dangerous?! I had no idea… I thought I was just making unsightly scars — does it matter how much you do it?

Anything that leaves your skin open or peeled off can potentially get infected. And yes I’ve read plenty of stories from people who pick, about getting staph. And not all staph can be cured, there’s antibiotic resistant versions.

I have a friend who has had her skin open up for other reasons and she’s landed in the hospital for really long periods with infections. Or ended up on what she described as “antibiotics verging on chemo”. (I’ve been on that dosage for preventative reasons while getting an implant: You feel various parts of your body almost wilt or something, when the meds get to that part of your body through an IV. It’s nasty on many levels. And even that doesn’t always save people.)

I’m also concerned I would get inferior medical care if I did get infected. Not just for the usual reasons. But because some doctors take anything self-inflicted personally, and take it out on patients who pick or self-injure.

Combine that with the fact that my ears are my most common site, which is a terrible spot to get a staph infection. And I have very intense motivation to stop picking. I don’t care about scars but I do care about this.

8 notes