the 'patient' picks at a place on them?
for example:
before mom and dad went to heaven they would 'pick' at a place on a part of their clothing..
not hard or anything, its like their fingers would just move on their own accord,
not like they thought 'something' was there..
have you all ever witnessed something to that effect?
i find that now also i cant even read my old posts here (when mom was still with me,) man! it still hurts so terribly.
and i read what you all write- and see what you all are still going thru and my heart goes out to each one of you.
there are so many wonderful things in our lives but there are also so many sad things to isnt there?
i am so glad for the 'good things' like this place and people that are there for you when times are hard..
isnt it amazing how god puts into place people or places right when you need them? i wouldnt have anyone to help me like you did when mom was dying.
''thanks'' just isnt enough it seems to say to you all...

We as caregivers seem to notice this alot. Parents will ask "why do they suck a thumb, chew their nails?" ... A person might ask " why does my horse crib(chew wood), why does the dog have hot spots, lick granulomas, etc. Why does the cat groom excessively, (resulting in bald spots and hair balls)?" And CGs ask, "why do they pick?".

This is my theory, and there is nothing scientific about it, so get ready to toss it.

Any brain that is still alive wants something to do. When activities that come naturally are not allowed, or are no longer possible, What does a brain do with the body it commands?.

The brain continues as best it can to keep in touch with the body, even to the point of causing pain and damage. Perhaps at some point, the only connection is "OUCH". Yes, depression is a part of this, OCD, yes. These things happen when your circumstances or a physical reality prevent you from feeling alive, from feeling the mind-body connection.

I believe that the brain is trying very hard to stay in touch with its body.

I was just told this picking at the skin in the manic side of depression.My mother did it and while caring for her I began to do the same.I am much better then I was.

Hi There! My mom is a picker. She would (and still does) pick at her skin. The last time was a spot on her face, it bacame infected. After she was placed on Lexapor the picking became less intense. Nothing seems to distract her once she's "found a picking spot". When I see her doing it I just move her hand away. It works for -- hummmm -- 30 seconds!!!

My husband does the same thing.Sometimes at his bed clothes and others in the thin air.Happens when he has been or is agitated.To me they hallucinate and thing there is something there.

My MIL does this Edwina she picks at imaginary things or she does this "picking" around her heart area, and flicks it away (I asked my DH) he claims this is part of a prayer taking the bad and casting it out away from the body...never seen that before and kinda got a little nervous as to what that really meant but he assures me thats a normal thing.
The other is a OCD tendency that MIL gets especially if a stranger touches things that belong to her and she doesnt like them.
She'll go at it for hours if I let her, once someone touched her pillow, I had to finally change the pillow case for her to get her to stop before she beat and picked the thing to death
They just get so focused on one thing whether its boredom or some kind of anger its sort of like a release for them Ive noticed. Half the time they dont realize their even doing it.