Mild trichotillomania?
First of all, there doesn't seem to be an appropriate thread for this already, so I put it in anxiety sincetrichotillomania is sometimes characterised as a form of OCD, and OCD is extreme anxiety (I think)
I know whattrichotillomania and I know I don't have it severely, but for the past few years I've been pulling at my hair in a similar way. I think it started when my hair hadn't been cut for a while and was starting to grow split ends, and some of the hair had like completely split, and it was kinda fun to find those hairs and split the split ends. I haven't had my hair cut often so I've always had split ends that I would find, and I would pull out my hair even if there wasn't a split end. I'd either grab a bunch of hairs and sift through them for split ends, or (usually while I'm watching TV or something) go through them at the root and find weird-feeling ones and pick them out.
So a few weeks ago I cut my hair pretty short which got rid of most of the split ends, but I've found that I keep feeling single hair strandsfrom the root, and pull them out. Mostly it's if the hair strand feels especially thick and curly, but it can be just anystrand I pick up.In every room of my house you'll find loads of hair strands on the floor or furniture and it's gettingkindaembarassing.
I know this topic is kinda gross, and I doubt there will be many people who know about this condition anyway, but I guess I'm just wanting to confirm whether it is actually mildtrichotillomaniaor just a long-term habit.
Hey,
Personally, I can?t confirm whether is trichotillomania or just a long-term habit. I will say, though, if you are asking yourself whether it might be more than just a habit, that trusting your instincts and being on the safe side is okay. Does it bother you that you?re doing it? If so, I think it?s totally acceptable and appropriate to talk to someone about it. Additionally, do you find that you identify the hair-pulling with a particular feeling? Feelings of anxiety? These are just things to think about.
Myself, and any other Listener are open to a chat if you do feel like talking about it.
Lee
Hey, so i know that I have trich. And i am almost positive it is a long term thing, and yes it goes with anxiety. Ever since i realized I had a problem, I educated myself on it. My counselor helps me some with it. Try to preoccupy yourself. If nothing else, squeeze a stressball or something. I also tend to wear hats when I am staying at home to make sure that i don't pick at my hair. I have struggled with this since I was 12 and I am almost 18 now. It tends to get more intense at stressful times in my life (Of course, when is my life not stressful lol). I have not been able to make it go away completely, but there are ways you can slow it down. And, your hair WILL GROW BACK. I have had multiple spots on my head that I have picked out that have grown back. I take10,000 mgof Biotin aday to helpthe growth processs.And, while i do suggest getting some form of help, if it is a mild case that you can keep somewhat under control, no one has to know that doesnt need to know. But it is good that you see early warning signs. Just learn how to control it the best you can, and you WILL BE OK!
Anyway, the best decision is to see a doctor and he will propose you one of the following methods of treatment:
Hypnosis
Hypnosis is conducted by a psychotherapist. He inspires the patient that he experiences intense pain when pulling hair. Hypnosis helps to reduce the overall anxiety and get rid of the habit.
Behavioral Therapy
During this therapy, people are taught to replace a bad habit by other actions: in order to pull hair, a person must strain the forearm and make a fist. Such exercises can be carried out in any situation, over time trichotillomania will be cured. Various studies prove the effectiveness of behavioral psychotherapy.
4 Medication
Taking meds should be combined with psychotherapy – this combination is the most beneficial in getting rid of the disease. Trichotillomania treatment includes the following drugs:
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors – they increase the concentration of endorphin and serotonin in the brain, which improve mood, eliminate anxiety and discomfort. Fluoxetine is used, the improvement occurs after a week of taking.
Tricyclic antidepressants have an effect similar to the previous group of drugs but unlike them, they affect other endorphins: norepinephrine, dopamine.
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Home Remedies
Home treatment requires a lot of motivation. In order to treat trichotillomania, it is important to accept oneself. It is necessary to master relaxation techniques in order to get rid of anxiety. Yoga and meditation are perfect for it.
In addition, it is recommended to use herbal decoctions with sedative effects (motherwort) and take them three times a day.
In order to evaluate the effectiveness of therapy photographs before and after are used. Prevention of trichotillomania is not established since the cause of this disorder is unclear.[url=http://undepress.net/trichotillomania-why-do-people-pull-their-hair/]More information[/url]
I know this thread hasn't been used in a while, but I reckon it's worth the shot. I think I have a mild form as well, I mostly pull on my underarms and on this one specific spot at the side of my head.
I guess I'm just concerned because it's like...I don't want to stop? Like i find the pain (well it's not pain to me) satisfying? That sounds so weird, I'm sorry. But, it's more of like, is there a negative consequence to this that I should know about? All the research I've done is for extreme cases. I don't pick my eyebrows or my eyelashes, so I'm not particularly ashamed of anything. But if there is a mental or physical negative consequence then I obviously will do everything I can to stop, so yeah. Just wondering. Sorry if this was a little ramble-y.