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On February 12, YouTube Gaming sensation Rachell "Valkyrae" returned to her channel to play Valorant with her streamer friends. Before the games began, she spent some time interacting with her chat and sharing some life updates.
The YouTuber admitted to having "signed up" for too many things and explained that she uses scratching as a way to deal with anxiety. She revealed that she scratched herself so much that she was covered in scars. The co-owner of 100 Thieves stated:
"So yeah, I just wanted to let you guys know that I am... I don't know. There's a lot going on. I'm covered in scars. I'm covered in scabs and scars and I don't know how to help someone that has depression. That's where I'm at right now."
Valkyrae talks about her coping mechanism to deal with anxiety
During her February 12 livestream, Valkyrae opened up a little about her hectic life. At the 11-minute mark, she mentioned "overdoing" things. She stated:
"So, I’m just, really, really stressed about that. Adding to my life updates, I think I'm overdoing it. I think I signed myself up for too many things and I... I've always had... okay. I've never talked about this before. But my whole life, I've had this, my copium, my coping mechanism for anxiety is picking and scratching. Yeah!"
The YouTuber revealed that her caffeine intake had increased "a lot" recently, with her picking and scratching also intensifying alongside.
"With picking and scratching, I pick and I scratch so much that, you can actually see kind of see here. I have, like, scabs all over my head. And I've been doing this forever! Since I was like, in middle school."
The Los Angeles-based content creator recalled a time in middle school when things got "so bad" that her mother had to take her to the hospital. She explained:
"It actually got so bad one time when I was in middle school that my mom took me to the hospital because I would pick at my scalp until it would bleed! Like, drip blood. I really don't remember if I've ever talked about this. But, yeah. I think I've just come to realize, like, I have more anxiety than I thought. Like, I have scabs! Like, it's almost, like, a hobby at this point!"
Valkyrae stated that livestreaming acts as a distraction, keeping her from scratching her head.
"I really try not to scratch my head when I'm streaming. And honestly, I like streaming because it distracts me from scratching my head, which is crazy. It actually does help. It helps a lot! And then after stream, I will literally just, pick, pick, pick! Scratch, scratch, scratch!"
Timestamp: 00:11:35
But, a few moments later, she began scratching herself on stream. Upon realizing, she exclaimed:
"Oh my god! Look at me! Look at me, I'm scratching and I didn't even notice! Get my hands away from me! Stop it! Oh my god! Stop, stop! I didn't even notice. That's crazy! Stop!"
Fans react to Valkyrae's revelation
Valkyrae's recent tweet about using picking and scratching as a coping mechanism gained a lot of traction, with more than 800 community members responding. Her fellow streamers also joined in and talked about their ways to deal with anxiety.
Valkyrae is a popular YouTube Gaming streamer who has been exclusively broadcasting on the platform since 2020. She has since amassed over 3.8 million subscribers on her primary channel.
