I obsessively pick at the skin on my arms and have been doing so for a year or two now. At first, it was just a way stop sh, but then one bad coping mechanism was replaced with another and I have
dotted scars on my arms and shoulders.
My mom knows about it (and the sh which I have quit). Each time she found out, she would get upset, give me the whole “your body is a temple” speech, and ignore me for a couple of weeks (all things I can handle). But this time, she threatened not letting me go to college out of my city.
“If you can’t take care of yourself, then I will have to for the rest of your life, and I can’t let you go to college”. I am applying to college in a few days, and she’s not the kind to bluff. She’s very unpredictable in her punishments, and I really don’t know how to approach this.
My house has a big privacy issue (my bathroom door has no lock, my mom comes into my room and into my bathroom unannounced all the time, and i have developed a really bad flinching habit because of it. My mom gets personally offended if I do not tell her everything in my life (including sexuality…. which she then proceeds to shame me for).
I love her with all my heart, but I don’t think I could take another year living at home with my parents. Any healthy habits I could implement to stop skin picking would be greatly appreciated!! And applying to college without losing my sanity. Thank you!