Hello,
Does anyone have any advice or tips on what to do about my mother's habit? She pretty much constantly picks at her nails/rag nails around them/cuticles until they bleed. Often the bleeding is quite bad and the skin she picks at it pulled down her fingers quite a bit. This means she usually has open sores around her fingers. If any sores have the chance to try to heal, she simply picks the scab off and the cycle continues. Her little dog is always licking her hands and fingers and nothing stops her allowing this - no reasoning is accepted at all.
We got a twiddle muff and it goes unused. She actually becomes quite 'huffy' when I say it's best if she tries to stop, or at least try to not let the dog lick her wounds to prevent infection (her personal care is another issue she refuses to address, e.g insists she doesn't need to wash/change clothes, etc).
Myself and my father are at our wits end over what to do. I've flagged it numerous times with the medics, they just aren't too bothered and offer no help, other than an antibiotic cream should she develop infection!
Recently we were out at a café and the picking was continuing. I asked her to stop and she became quite annoyed with me and told me off. Her face was wincing in pain as she picked, but she wouldn't stop. My little girl was with us and she was becoming increasingly upset watching this, begging her granny to stop and being firmly told 'no'. It was so difficult. The memory will stay with her unfortunately.
To summarise, no distraction techniques appear to work. No reasoning works. No 'white lies' work. The GP is not interested in preventative measures, rather just treatment for infection. It's just very upsetting all round and I'm hoping other members can relate, if not offer support.
Thanks.
Does anyone have any advice or tips on what to do about my mother's habit? She pretty much constantly picks at her nails/rag nails around them/cuticles until they bleed. Often the bleeding is quite bad and the skin she picks at it pulled down her fingers quite a bit. This means she usually has open sores around her fingers. If any sores have the chance to try to heal, she simply picks the scab off and the cycle continues. Her little dog is always licking her hands and fingers and nothing stops her allowing this - no reasoning is accepted at all.
We got a twiddle muff and it goes unused. She actually becomes quite 'huffy' when I say it's best if she tries to stop, or at least try to not let the dog lick her wounds to prevent infection (her personal care is another issue she refuses to address, e.g insists she doesn't need to wash/change clothes, etc).
Myself and my father are at our wits end over what to do. I've flagged it numerous times with the medics, they just aren't too bothered and offer no help, other than an antibiotic cream should she develop infection!
Recently we were out at a café and the picking was continuing. I asked her to stop and she became quite annoyed with me and told me off. Her face was wincing in pain as she picked, but she wouldn't stop. My little girl was with us and she was becoming increasingly upset watching this, begging her granny to stop and being firmly told 'no'. It was so difficult. The memory will stay with her unfortunately.
To summarise, no distraction techniques appear to work. No reasoning works. No 'white lies' work. The GP is not interested in preventative measures, rather just treatment for infection. It's just very upsetting all round and I'm hoping other members can relate, if not offer support.
Thanks.