Trichotillomania

Hey to armywife... I know how it feels. I have been there and I still have my harder moments. This is my suggestion to you. First... Find something to do with your hands. It sounds simple.. But it is really the trick to it. And the second thing, to at least break the habit of pulling in visible areas, pull in areas that are not visible. The next thing, get your husband to help you. Ask him to firmly, but nicely remind you not to pull when he sees you with your hands in your hair or pulling. Then... Reward you when you are doing well. Reward yourself too...But be really honest with yourself. Then also, do things to keep yourself busy that you like. I am not talking about getting a 12 hour job that you work every day so that when you come home, you are so tired you dont feel like pulling, but engage in things you like. Sounds corny... But it works. E-mail me if you wanna. It is v isionfromgod305@yahoo.Com I can also tell you meds that did not and did work and the risks and what not to them. Be blessed and good luck.

Hi.

My name is nichole I am 22
this is my first time..
I have looked before but never got into anything like this and I think it is time.. The truth is I have been pulling my hair scince I was really little...

I hide it every day.. And have my hole life.. It's something I struggle with and don't know how to change... I don't talk about it!! I didn't wan't anyone to know.. It is my secrect and it kills me on they inside.. Beacuse I want to change it but don't know how to.. I guess I need help.. Growing up I got made fun of. My my brothers and sister.. In my relationships it is something I hid I do my hair just right.. So you can't tell... And when it gets told.. I take it out on myself .. It has gottin really bad lately and I don't know how to stop I want to but I don't know how to or what to do...

I guess I just need someone to talk to in someways..
I wan't to stop .. I have before for a while and then I broke and went back to it.. It makes me feel better in alot of ways... It is my way out..

Hey,
how is everyone ??
I am ok today I feel pretty good havent pulled yet..
I am going to try and stop. See if I can handle it.
Havent tried to stop in a long time..
I am just goin to have faith in myself ..
I am trying to find the right way to tell my boyfriend about it.
Kinda not sure but he needs to know. I don't tell anyone..
I just hope he understands I thought about just printing out some pages
and handing it to him.. I don't know how to do it.
My head has gottin bad lately.
I talked to my dad though about it. I want to understand it
and then maybe I can change it. I guess one step at a time right ??
I think what makes me feel better is knowing that I am not alone!!
And I feel better now that I can get it out.. I wounder if people notice my head but I hide it real good. I guess I just want someone to understand me in alot of ways.. I would like to talk about it to anyone that wants to
it would make me feel better .. If any would like to talk about (anything)
or just need a friend!! My yahoo screen name is nlc1283@ya hoo.Com
I would like to talk
with love
nichole

I have had this for a long time and I just started researching it. I didn't know there were other people. I would run my fingers in the back of my head feeling for that little coarse hair and look for the clear bump on the end to feel satisfied. Well I don't do it very often anymore. It started when I was way younger and I had a two inch part in my hair from where I had been pulling. No treatment, it just stopped and grew back. A couple years ago I started again and this time I have small spots that aren't very noticible but still very embarassing. I have one inch hair in those spots now that just stick straight up which makes it more tempting to pull those! But I refrain and keep my hair in a ponytail/bun with baretts keeping all hairs un-noticed. :) I am really trying to grow my hair back out and be rid of this temptation forever. I just ordered a book to help. I sure hope it works. I would love to wear my hair down for a change.

Wow, I am so relieved to know that i'm not alone. While listening to the radio someone described things that I used to always do..Pull out my hair! I started when I was in like 9 or 10. I pulled out my hair..Not one strand at a time..Like a 10 or 20 strands. I had bald spots in the front and on top of my head. I became embaressed of my actions and stopped pulling my hair out from from myhead. I then moved on to eyebrows and my eyelashes. I have very short eyelashes now. I still have a thing with hair though...I love to tweeze everything! Weird thing is....I can spend 2 hours straight doing it from all parts of my body. I tweeze when I sit in front of the tv, computer, before I sleep and when im bored.

Hello everyone,

I'm new to the site. My daughter pulls her eyelashes and eyebrows. She's only a pre-teen. It's been going on for about 1 to 1 1/2 years. I've spoken to some people in my church about it because I had been prompted by the Holy Spirit, (Yeah, I'm a Trinitarian believer, Father, Son & Holy Spirit, born-again...) to read about the madman of Gadara. Well, apparently he had issues with cutting himself and the clue word there was "repeatedly". So I asked our youth pastor about her dealing with some of the youth that she deals with that cut themselves. She indicated that one of the root spiritual causes was self-hate. So I've actually embarked on attempting to find these issues within myself so that I can then take care of my daughter. My daughter has expressed on several occasions how she hates herself and how (in her mind) everyone hates her. She says that people (some of her classmates) call her names such as weird and such. I myself have called her names and so have people in my family, names such as weird, jungle woman, wild woman and when the hair pulling started it really did escalate to weird, freak and I've found out that even troll has been put on her. Well, I've been working on reversing these things and have spoken to the family about calling her even the least of negative things. Apparently her self-esteem is at stake.

So anyway, yesterday at Borders Books store, I came across this book about pulling hair and I read that this thing that is going on with my daughter has an actual name, TTM. I had no clue that this thing even existed. It even described that fact that she saves her hair. She calls it "money". I know that stress and bordom are part of her trigger. Because I've been trying to "counsel" her as best as I know. And she has finally opened up and spoken to me about it. But I really want to take this thing to another level and ultimately complete healing.

Anyway, I'm looking for any good sites that anyone may have. I've searched for some and all they are doing is peddling their wares. I'm looking more for non-medical treatments to try first before going to a doctor and possibly using medication. My daughter has indicated that she doesn't want to see a doctor. At this time, I will grant her that. But I will definitely will not rule it out altogether.

I'll be talking to my cell group leader soon and will share any information I get from a spiritual stand point and natural stand point.

Hello all,

This is my first time on the net talking about this hair pulling crazy problem. I have been pulling out my eyelashes and eyebrows since I was I think 10, and now I am almost 30. I have recently become aware of the trich disorder and I cannot believe how many people are just like me. I don't feel alone anymore knowing that there are people out there that do the same thing, but I am now starting to fight against pulling and working towards a healthier life. I have not tried any medications yet, just seeing a therapist for advice and talking about how having now eyelashes and few eyebrows has altered my life and how I have avoided situations that involve public speaking etc. It is almost like an addiction, telling yourself to stop pulling, and 5 minutes later, you are back at it again, feeling pleasure from pulling, but angry and depressed that your outer image is ugly, at least in my mind. So anyway, I am standing up to this hair thing and will use all the tools necessary to control it. I am not a fan of using medications, but sometimes you have to give in and use a helping hand....

Ok, well, if anyone has a comment for me, fire away, I feel better knowing that I am in a forum where people have the same issues.

Bye.

Hello. I'm 17 years old and found out about trich while doing a report on cutting/self-injury. I'm not sure if I have it or not. For the past one and a half years or so, I've been pulling out my hair. I don't think I do it obsessively, but I never knew there was an actual disorder about pulling hair.

I usually pull hairs out of my head that are really curly (I have very straight hair) and are near my neck. It hurts, but I still do it to feel satisfaction. These are some of the symptoms. I also pull out eyebrow hair, but that's it. I don't have bald spots. I'm not really obsessive about it. But I may have a very minor case of trich.

Can someone who understands trich better than I give me some advice? Should I do anything? Does it get worse? Any comments would be appreciated.

ok, so I have learned a little about triggers. There are triggers so many things that we may get angry about...example...I am upset so I eat. Well, now what was it that triggered me to get upset in that particular situation? With no pun intending, triggers have roots! So what is the root of the problem that when that 'button' is pushed by whomever and whatever that cause her to pull? What is it that is deep inside that she is choosing to avoid confronting, some sort of pain that she wants to avoid, that causes her to seek pleasure in pulling? It sounds like an oxymoron but it is what it is. I'm looking for roots so that I just don't mask this thing with my daughter. I don't want a band aid. I want this thing gone and healed. I believe that this thing can be overcome.

I've had trich since i was about 10. I'm now 19. I've tried therapy and medication, and nothing has worked. I think its because it went so long untreated.

i have it. and im so glad people are starting to get more informed on it. i used to think i was the only one. lol

I am 24 i am married and have 2 kids. I have tons of family and Friends that love me and respect me.... hair or no hair. I have been pulling since I was 12. I woke up one morning and there was this little spot in the middle of my head I don't think I started it but It made me wonder why it was like that So I pulled at the spot to see if it would just come out and I liked it. I had just moved states to live with my dad, my mom had attempted suicide and blamed it on me. So Maybe it was stress I can't really blame it on anything but for years I was in denial telling myself and everyone else that it was falling out and I wore wigs and then in 8th Grade I decided to never wear one again after a girl decided to rip it off. Talk about humiliating! My hair is long well shoulder length and I have a huge bald spot but as i have gotten older my talent for #1 hiding it and # 2 watching where and how much I pull has become easier. I have adult add and that has alot to do with my hairloss I pull when I get frustrated and can't focus it's the one thing i can focus on. I have started making jewelry working with my hands has helped I went almost 2 months without pulling a big ammount just a few here and there. Untill last night that is. I must have pulled a handful.... My hair was starting to look so good. i hope I didn't ruin it! My husband is the only person that knows what I do.... Nobody else The world is so cruel and people would be angry and not understand. I am blessed with amazing childrena nd an incredible husband. He gets that i can't help it and I really honestly have no control over it. I have attempted suicede twice in my life and Honestly almost succeeded. It's amazing what hair or lack there of will do to a person. When I pull it's like a sense of relief like tons of pressure has been let out. I have noticed that I can wake up and tell when and where I will pull from because it will almost hurt and ache from the need to get the hair out. Then I will rub my scalp when it's clean and wipe away the oil and/or blood. Most of the time it's swollen and red where I pull but it's been along time since that has happened to me. I am trying really hard i am on anti anxiety meds and adderall for my add. It's really helping. It's when I have insomnia that it gets bad. There is nothing to do at 4 in the morning. As for the person that said people with Trich are Garbage.... I am far from that. I am a God fearing/loving Mother and Wife. My life is plentiful and because I was given this illness to deal with I have been able to teach my children to be nonjudgemental and caring to others needs. Nobody should be called Trash If you have Trich it's one thing to feel overwhelmed and Lonely... I sealt with the truth by myself for 10 years and finally told my husband of 4 years a little over a year ago about the condition. He was kind and considerate about it. So If anyone wants to talk about it or needs anything I am here to talk. My suggestions to the people that wonder what you should do... things are the things that have helped me to the point wear once was completely bald is now about 2 inches long and growing is this Always keep your hair clean, it really helps cause I think the oily hair makes you feel gross. # 2 Invest in a good set of tweezers try to pull from the pubic area or legs I mean if you are female you need to do it anyways and the tweezers will help you pull one at a time that will take longer or and always wear lotion if your hands are slippery you can't pull... TRUST ME. Try to stay away from the face. Take a sketch book or journal with you or take up cross-stiching or jewelry making You will be amazed at how much you can make if you have the urge to pull and do your project instead. Find somebody else that has it too taht you can talk to and share what's going on. You are not alone...but, this is a silent illness and most of us want it to stay that way because of the ugly thoughts and name calling. You guys are not alone just remember that.