Trichotillomania-advise needed!

I've had trich (hair pulling disease) for about 4 years and i am so sick of it! I really want to stop but i don't want to go to the doctors. Does anyone on here have or has had trich?

Please can you give me some advise as to what i can do to stop so i can finally get on with my life!

Reply 1

Anonymous #2

I dont have this but ive experienced something similar i think....whenever i see "baby hairs" sticking out that look out of place and horrible, i just pull them out!

But how about starting to think more deeply about the consequences of hair pulling. before you do it from now on, just think: hair pulling = hair loss= balding= :frown:

.

Why do u feel the need to pull hair?

Reply 2

1013

I do it too. Not the hair on my head but arms hair, eyebrows, lashes. I do it on other people too. If I see someone with a hair that stands out (i.e. is too dark / light / long / short) I get the compulsion to rip it out. If I know the person well enough I will just do it but it drives me crazy when I see it on people I don't konw well enough. I physically have to stop myself and look away!

Reply 3

Doodahdoo

All about Trich (link)
Helens Trich links (link)
Trich learning Centre (link)

Reply 4

allmyshoes

me and my mother both have trich. we've never recieved any 'treatment' for it (i'm not even aware of any, honestly) but i have to say i've just 'trained myself' off it. i got a little bald patch once and sort of went "ok. no thanks. no more." although the thicker hairs are always tempting i must say.

also - if you really want to stop, why not go to the doctors? they're obviously the best place, with all the links to different help centers. suck it up and go, is my advice.

Reply 5

lazzyfuzzylou

i've got trich as well and i basically nearly went completely bald because of it. that was 5 years ago, but i still to it to a lesser degree.

basically, make sure that your hands are always full so you can fiddle with your hair - keep something in them, a stress ball worked for me. the doctor's didn't help me at all, so don't worry about not going. just keep your hands busy - it will take time, but eventually it becomes manageable.

Reply 6

Anonymous #1

Why do u feel the need to pull hair?

I really don't know :frown:

Thankyou for the advise and the links were very helpful. I really don't want to have to go to the doctors because i'm too embarrassed about having trich.

but i have to say i've just 'trained myself' off it.

Allmyshoes how exactly did you train yourself off it? I've tried to do this but i only managed to last for a couple of weeks and then i started pulling again.

i've got trich as well and i basically nearly went completely bald because of it. that was 5 years ago, but i still to it to a lesser degree.

Wow that's a big achievement to have recovered from that :biggrin:

Was there a turning point for you where you decided you had to do something about it?

Reply 7

lazzyfuzzylou

well i guess the turning point was when i was washing what was left of my hair, i had like a thin layer covering my head and then underneath i was completely bald. my mum came in and saw the bald part under the thin layer of hair and she started to cry, and then i knew that it was going to ruin my life and the lives of my family if i didn't stop.

so i just made sure my hands were always full. and i didn't try to stop pulling completely, because it's impossible. i did it bit by bit and gradually i recovered.

Reply 8

Anonymous #3

I used to have this problem, and the way I finally managed to sort it was to say to myself, 'every time I do this, I have to put 10p in that box, and all that money will go somewhere useful' (like charity). It might be worth trying something like that; if you relate the loss of something to your actions, it helps you to think about what you're doing, and so you can control yourself more.

Reply 9

Anonymous #1

Thanks for all this advice. Does anyone know how long it takes for hair to grow back to normal length?

Reply 10

pink_lucie

i used to pull out my hair right at the front so it was really obvious but i just loved the feeling of it, i eventully stoped thank god or i would have a receding hair line at 17! :eek:

Reply 11

Anonymous #4

yeh ive got this..
i do the hair from my eyebrows mostly..i used to do hairs on head but kinda diverted it to eyebrows now..
so annoying tho..does any one else find its loads worse over exams etc?
i think uve jus gotta think "this looks stupid" and keep reminding urself in order to put you off..
although easier said than done!

Reply 12

Fleffzilla

I do it when I'm bored, stressed, anxious, and angry... So when I'm bored, stressed, anxious, or angry, I find something else to do. Play a stupid internet game or whatever. Sometimes it doesn't work, most of the time it does. Sometimes I can't help it - it's an itch that needs scratching. Which is another thing - my scalp. It doesn't itch as such, not like your foot or your leg itches, but it itches to be scratched. Which is another symptom of trich.

If you don't know when or why you do it, make sure that when you notice you're doing it you make a note of how you feel or what's going on, and the date. That way you can keep track of it and identify what's making you want that feeling that comes with hair pulling.
I've not stopped, I don't think I will - not for a long time at least - but it's far less noticeable.

As for turning points... I'd say in year 9 - I always tied my hair back because of it [tied up is harder to pull out], but it got so bad once that when it grew back I had a tuft of hair that wouldn't stay down. I think the ridiculing I got for that, and the excuses I had to make - to keep people from finding out why I had half the hair at the back of my head growing back - made me realise I had a problem. And I'd just got through bullying, I didn't want it to start again, so I controlled it more.
That and my mum threatening to take me to a psychiatrist [it affects my eyelashes in the corner of my eyes, they itch and pulling them out relieves that, that's what she noticed].
But I've never been to the doctors about it either.

Trich sufferers in general don't like talking about it, it's not exactly a conversation starter, and it comes with shame for a few people. Which is probably why few people go to the doctors about it.
But if it gets to the point where it's affecting your day to day life, something needs to be done about it, and if you need support you need to know it's there - whether it's a doctor or a counsellor or just a group of people who have it as well.

Anyway, this thread's just triggered me, I've got that urge, so I'm off to play Mario on my phone...

Reply 13

Anonymous #1

OK thanks for replying everyone and i'll see how things go :smile:

Reply 14

Anonymous #5

hey, i have had trichotillomania for about four years.The annoying thing is, i can remember the actual day started and i was thinking 'what the hell am i doing?!', but before i knew it, i was hooked!i havn't done it for a good month or so now; after realising how thin my once thick and shiny hair had become i realised not to do it.problem times are exams/stressful periods/ boredom etc.so really try hard to ween yourself off it over the summer xxx

Reply 15

daydreaming

Anonymous

so annoying tho..does any one else find its loads worse over exams etc?

yeah. it's triggered in some people by stress.
i'm not sure how to stop doing it because i haven't really managed. i think first you have to figure out what orginially triggers it and stop that, e.g. try not to stress out too much, get people to help you relax.
then you have to break the habit. imo that's the hardest bit because i've never really succeeded at it. if you have long hair tie it up or cut it short, that helps. fiddling with paperclips/bluetack works to an extent too.
it takes ages for hair to grow back, and it'll be shorter than the rest.