I am researching if there is a biological chemical release relating to individuals who are obsessive skin pickers. For instance, I am aware that some individuals with Borderline Personality Disorder may "cut" their body. This relieves pain for them, and also is associated with an endorphine release in the brain. I would like to knw if there is a same kind of chemical release in the brain for individuals who are obsessive pickers?

-- Katrina Wood (katrinaw@indepassoc.org), March 05, 2003

Answers

You'll find lots of information on skin picking on the internet if you change the language to compulsive skin picking (obsessions have to do with ideas, compulsions with behaviors). Since skin picking, like other aspects of obsessive-compulsive disorder, responde to psychotropic medication, there is likely a neuroleptic basis to the behavior. I suppose the direction of the hypothesis would have to come from the specific action of the psychotropic drugs that reduce OCD symptoms. For example, Prozac is effective in treating OCD. It is a selective serotonic reuptake inhibitor, which suggests that serotonic might be the relevant brain chemical; but valium also helps, and it has a quite different mechanism of action. So ... there is considerable evidence that OCD has a biochemical basis, but probably not much evidence that the picking has the same psychological function as borderline cutting. For psychological musings on the meaning of compulsive behavior you might check the classic work of Otto Fenichel. The effect you describe in the borderline may well explain why BPDs respond fairly well to the latest generation of anti-psychotic drugs.

-- Hendrika Vande Kemp (hendrika@earthlink.net), March 06, 2003.