So Far...

It's been about a day and so far the cold turkey approach is going okay. I've noticed that I often touch my scalp, face, and cuticles and start picking at them without consciously thinking about it. I have been able to stop immediately when I've become aware of what I'm doing, except for picking some dry scabs off my scalp and scraping at a few hangnails. I learned online that thinking/talking yourself out of doing something that's self-destructive is known in the psychotherapy world as cognitive restructuring or debating. Another approach I'm interested in learning more about is Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy or MBCT, which has to do with learning how to cope with uncomfortable states of mind. There's a book called "A Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Workbook" that I think I'll try to read, if I can find the time.