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Okay, in this next part, Logan explains a bunch of strategies to stop skin picking, and while a lot of his explanations are based on the words of a therapist, please keep in mind that I am not a therapist. I am, at most, a psychology student who didn't actually cover this disorder in their psychopathology class. So, DON'T use this fanfiction as medical advice.

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Logan led Deceit to his bedroom, and Janus wasn't sure if he should be glad of that or not. Logan's room encouraged the acquisition of knowledge, and a side effect of that turned out to be that Janus had an easier time telling the truth while in the room. And- though he hadn't confirmed this- he was pretty sure Logan knew that. But was that a good thing? On the one hand, their conversation wouldn't be hindered by Logan needing to switch his wording around, but on the other, it would make it harder for Janus to tell a convincing lie when he felt the need to.

And he was pretty sure he would feel that need.

Upon entering the room, Logan gestured toward one of his chairs.

"Please sit, Janus," he directed, sitting in another chair himself.

Deceit did so, and he hoped that he didn't look as stiff as he felt.

"Alright, we might as well figuratively dive in, correct?" Logan began. "Now, I'm going to start by saying that you don't actually have to show me or go into detail about your skin picking unless you want to. I'm just going to help you learn the techniques and check in with how well they're working. I won't force you, and if you're uncomfortable, tell me and I will let the matter rest. And I won't get mad if a technique doesn't work, nor will the others. Is this alright with you?"

"I-"

He wanted to say yes, but Logan's room was interfering. So instead, he shrugged. Logan nodded in response.

"Alright. I believe I already mentioned cutting your nails. This will just keep you from doing damage even when you try to pick your skin," Logan told him. "Though, some people use objects instead of their nails. Is this something you do?"

Janus blinked.

"... Not… usually…"

Another nod from Logan.

"Do you think you would start using an object if using your nails was no longer an option?"

"I don't… know...?"

Logan crossed his legs.

"Well, you could try it. But if you end up using objects that do more damage than your nails, I would suggest letting your nails grow back out," said Logan. "Is this something you would be willing to try?"

Surprisingly, Janus found himself answering easily.

"Alright."

"Good. Now, that prevents you from doing too much damage to your skin, but it won't actually stop you from trying or treat the reasons you do it," Logan continued. "For that, I have compiled a list of some behavioral alteration techniques."

Janus wanted to roll up his sleeves and take off his gloves, even though he knew he couldn't (and shouldn't), especially in front of the other sides. But talking about it just made the urge to do so even stronger.

"The first of which is simple mindfulness. This likely won't be enough on its own, either, but it could be beneficial. You should try to take note of when the urge to pick your skin is the strongest and what you're thinking during those times. You can even write it down in a journal or chart, if you wish," explained Logan. "And when the urge to pick does arise, try to tell yourself that, even though you feel like you have to pick your skin, you actually don't."

Janus's eyes narrowed.

"Ah, yes, telling myself to stop will clearly work," he drawled.

Well, at least Logan's room didn't seem to be affecting his sarcasm.

Logan adjusted his glasses.

"I do not believe that will be enough to help you stop. It is simply one piece of the figurative puzzle that might make it easier," he responded. "Sometimes, we start to believe that our thoughts are true, even if there is evidence to contradict them. Some thoughts are just thoughts, and if we can, we should try to evaluate whether those thoughts should be listened to or not. This also applies to the negative thoughts that might urge you to pick your skin and not just the thoughts about picking themselves."

Silently, Janus thought that sounded a lot like Logan's opinion on how to deal with Remus, which didn't exactly quell his spark of irritation, but he nonetheless didn't say so.

"You can also try to remind yourself not to pick your skin if you find yourself doing it unintentionally. You can put some sticky notes up in your room, for example," said the other side, not noticing that Janus wasn't very happy at the moment. "It might help to put one on the bathroom mirror or in other areas where you engage in activities that might increase the urge."

"... Sticky notes?"

"I know it might seem silly, but giving yourself a reminder is helpful in a wide variety of situations," Logan replied. "If you look around, you'll notice that my room is covered in them."

Logan's room was, in fact, covered in various sticky notes. The one closest to Janus, the one on the desk, was a reminder to check the clock and go to bed if it was past 10 p.m.

"Another technique is to keep your hands busy so you don't have the opportunity to pick your skin. You might want to hold something or use a fidget toy when you're in a situation in which you are likely to start picking your skin," the logical side kept going. "This may not be feasible in all situations, but if you are having a hard time, it can be helpful to prevent you from doing it. On that note, you don't seem to pick your skin when around others, so if being with someone will prevent you from doing it, you shouldn't hesitate to seek one of us out."

Of course he didn't pick his skin around them. How could he rip his skin apart while others were watching?

"Now, this might seem obvious, but really, the only way to stop picking your skin is to not do it."

Janus was about to respond, but Logan held up a hand.

"I know that sounds stupid," he cut in. "But if stopping is your goal, you will have to try to stop, whether you use these techniques or different ones."

"... But what if I can't?"

Logan uncrossed his legs and looked Janus in the eyes.

"Janus, I'm not telling you to stop immediately. It would be expected that you keep doing it for a while, and there's no schedule for how long it should take," he told Janus. "And even if you can't stop completely, decreasing the frequency or severity is still progress."

Janus crossed his arms.

"Now, how long do you believe you can currently go without picking your skin at all?"

He thought for a moment.

"Maybe… a day? If I'm trying really hard not to."

Logan nodded.

"Alright. So, why don't you start with trying to stop yourself for a day, and you can try to increase that time slowly?" Logan suggested.

Deceit's mouth felt dry.

"I… I can try…"

And then, Logan gave him a small smile.

"That's all anyone can ask of you, Janus," he reassured. "And remember, even if you do end up picking your skin, you haven't failed. You can still stop yourself from doing it again or keep yourself from doing it in the future. No one will think less of you for having difficulty with this. Alright?"

"... Alright."

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Okay, the sticky note thing is legitimately therapist advice. It kinda helps until you just get used to the sticky notes and start ignoring them lol.

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