Trichotillomania

shanyin

My Trichotillomania is coming back:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania

It's not as extreme as the picture of the example but I have gotten noticably large bald spots in the past. It happened a few times as a teenager. I've been twirling my hair since I was small then in high school it went to this extreme. I get pleasure and a rush from picking it out. Sorry if this is creeping people out.

I was just thinking it would be interesting to talk to someone with this 'disorder' if anyone has had it before. I don't have bald spot yet I'm hoping it won't go that far. I guess I could check out the mental health forums to talk to someone. Just curious if anyone here has been through it though I imagine it's kind of rare.

karasti

It is not something I experience, but I would assume it's related to a lot of other OCD disorders? It doesn't seem terribly different than onychophagia (nail biting/picking). That is something I do, not to the same extreme as some, but very obvious and very related to OCD, in that I do it in order to try to make my nails look "perfect" yet in the act of biting and picking at them, make them look horrible. I get a similar rush when I manage to grow my nails out and then bite/pick them apart.

blu3ree

I had the same thing when I was in 6th grade. I was going through puberty and learning about science and alot of stress built up inside me. I had a huge bald spot and all the hair in the front of my head was gone.

Back in the days before modern razors n scissors native Americans used to rip their hair out if they wanted a Mohawk. Recently my buddy told me about a Buddhist school somewhere that rips their hair out.

One thing that helped me profoundly was when the urge comes up to push with 2 fingers below the nostrils on the nose above the lips. Or to grab the ear lobes. I started replacing my hair pulling wih those techniques and within 2 weeks they went away forever! Hope this helps.

It's also known as trick.

blu3ree

Kriya yoga with zen will help bring awareness if it seems like the process is automatic.

Citta

Many people find that Behavioural approaches are most effective with this kind of issue.
No analysis. No attempting to look for causes..they are lost in time.
The kind of replacement activity that blu3ree describes is excellent advice.
You could also try shifting the attention to the breath each time you find your hand moving headwards..The very habit that is causing you distress can be a trigger for awareness.
Whatever ...let us know how it is going ?

gracelee

I have dermatillomania which is very similar. I compulsively pick at my skin unfortunately unlike trich the damage to my skin is permanent and I have scars on my face shoulders arms and back.... it is related to OCD and is an impulse control disorder. it is a self soothing/calming behaviour. I have quite severe anxiety and my picking is at its worst when I am tired or anxious. If you think of it terms of an addiction you won't be far off. for some reason the pulling or picking gives some form of a buzz or pleasure which distracts from feelings(boredom, tiredness,sadness anxiety etc). the key I think to changing it is awarenss. Alot of my picking is so automatic i dont even know I'm doing it!... i think the worst part of it for me is the shame i feel around it. I can't wear short tops, feel uncomfortable going to the beach... it has started restricting my life. there are lots of books about treating trich on amazon....

if I am honest I have'nt made much progress in changing this behavior..... I have bigger fish to fry at the moment.

it is something I hope to work on soon...

let me know how you get on!! I would love to know if you have any success

Good Luck!!

gracelee

this is a pretty comprehensive guide:
http://www.trich.org/dnld/ExpertGuidelines_000.pdf

shanyin

Thank you that is so kind!

Invincible_summer

Holy crap i didn't even know this was an actual thing. I have the tendency to pull on my chin hairs, though I don't know if it's trichotillomania. I'd say it's 50% unconscious, 50% conscious. Sometimes I get annoyed or sort of tense if I can't manage to pull one out. My gf finds it annoying, so at least I have her to call me out on it.

shanyin

Stop thinking its a thing or it'l become a thing! haha