Trichotillomania (any advice?)

[PainUnreal]

So to start, for people who are unfamiliar with the topic, trichotillomania (trich) is a SIB form in which the person who does it pulls out their hair, whether it be from the head, face (eyebrows, eyelashes, beard for guys), arms, legs, etc. It isn't as common a form of self-injury as cutting is, but it provides the same relief.
I've done it for like a year and a few months. Mostly my eyebrows and eyelashes. This isn't my only method of SI (yes I cut too), but it is the one that I would most like to kick in the butt, as it is pretty severely effecting my self image to an even lower point than it was before. Yes, I have tried a psychologist, and it did absolutely nothing in the long run besides making me feel like a nut. I do have a feeling as to what my major triggers are for all of my SI, and they aren't really avoidable (boredom and my mother mostly).
I was wondering if anyone else here does, or did, suffer from trich, and if anyone knows any ways that might be helpful for me to use to stop for myself. Thanks in advance! :heart:

[HeroesAndCons]

i dont pull my hair out
but when u have the urge to try something such as..
keep a string in your pocket and pull that instead
get a peace of dirty cothing (that you dont wear anymore) and stretch it
i hope this helps
Xx

[BeautifulDisaster]

This isn't self harm, it's an anxiety(more OCD type) disorder, you'd best see a professional about it.

I do suffer from it, have done since I was roughly 8-9 yrs old.

[Zephyr]

Finding the right psychologist can take several tries before you find somebody that you click with. It may help if you do some research on the internet about psychologists in your area and find somebody that specializes in OCD and SI behaviors such as Trich.

Ichgo mentioned a couple of ways that may be helpful in coping, you can try those and see if they work for you. Granted they arn't going to give you the physical pain gratification, it's still mimicking the behavior in a way. Another one that I can think of is getting a ball of yarn and tugging at the strands.

[CuriousDestruction]

seek professional help or at least see a therapist. they can give recommendations on how to cope and talk to you about how you feel. the recommendations that ichigoXx made are good ones. also BeautifulDisaster, any form of disorder that involves mutilating your body is self-harm. this is no exception.

[BeautifulDisaster]

The reason is not to cause harm though, it is a compulsion, therefore it is an anxiety disorder.
Look it up.

[Katrina]

Psychological analysis of Trichotillomania sufferers has revealed the reason for pulling out of the hair to be a condition called "secondary gain". People with Trich receive a secondary gain or satisfaction from pulling their hair out. The gain received often derives from a self sabotage to avoid being hurt by other people. Women often use these tactics to make themselves less attractive for abusive men.

The solution to stopping the self abuse is to reverse the brains thought structure which tells Trichotillomania sufferers that abusing themselves by pulling out hair is equivalent to avoiding pain from others. It may sound complicated, but the brain is automatically set up to avoid pain at all cost, so inflicting self pain is seen as a defense from pain to people with Trich.

The beginning of stopping the hair pulling obsessive disorder has to begin with the control of the subconscious mind. With the right treatment, the brain can begin the cure of the hair pulling obsession by not associating the pulling of hair as pleasure. But as Stephanie has already said it can take several weeks to find a good psychologist.

[BeautifulDisaster]

Don't know where you got that from, but it is classified as an impulse control disorder, and also is along the lines of an anxiety disorder named OCD as many sufferers say they feel they have to do it - COMPULSION.

[ShatteredWings]

It can be a form of SI though. I pull my hair out for the same reason I cut. Some people it might be compulsive I agree.
Things can be triggered by more than one root.

I really don't try to stop anymore, just keep it to a minimum. When it was bad -- i was missing a patch of hair -- i started to pull on other things whenever I found myself on my hair. pulling the hairs out of a stuffed animal seems to help.

[BeautifulDisaster]

Well, that's your opinion, but the fact of the matter is, Tricho is to do with compulsions, SH is to do with hurting yourself.

[Asylum]

i agree that it is a form of self injury. You are intentionally hurting yourself which would classify as self injury, i have a friend that does this to himself, my suggestion to you is to seek professional help, and try pull on other objects like rope, old clothing (as someone ^ suggeste), shoe laces, blankets, perhaps biting a pillow, or squezzing it will help, picking grass, as far as the cutting is conserned distraction, call someone, draw on yoruself, squeze ice cubes or frozen oranges, mark up a doll instead of yor body, if these things don't work PM me and I can give you more advice on what to do, but I really suggest seekign professional help hun, i'msure you don't want to feel like hruting yoruself naymore... no one deserves to feel that way, they can put an end to it...

[ShatteredWings]

Tricho is to do with compulsions, SH is to do with hurting yourself.

im not denying that. im saying that hair pulling can be a form of self harm, and the OP just chose the wrong words, which is really easy to do

[BuryYourFlame]

Please don't deviate too much from the original topic people. Feel free to continue talking via PM.

[Stolen Memories]

This is more of an OCD Disorder of a SI one... so I think your best bet is to try to relax a bit...

Put an elastic on your wrist, every time you catch yourself pulling out hair.. snap it..
your body automatically re-writes.. just dont get addicted to the snapping

[HeroesAndCons]

Uhh it can be both

[LovelyMalice]

My mother has this. She would get such aweful spots on her head with no hair at all! She would just shave her whole head so it would grow in evenly. For her, it seemed to be related mostly to stress. She has gone probably 2 years without pulling her hair out now! Its now a little past her shoulders.

[HeroesAndCons]

Good for your mom lovelymalice hope she succeeds at not pulling her hair out

[PainUnreal]

For clarification of the argument that was taking place, trich is both an impulse control disorder AND self injury.
For the past week, I've been using the rubber band method, and it worked. I haven't pulled out a single hair for a week. I really didn't expect it to work as well and as quickly as it did, but I'm pretty ecstatic right now cuz my eyebrows are almost grown back in and my eyelashes are coming back in quickly too. Which is a pretty big achievement, cuz my eyebrows were almost gone a few weeks ago and I haven't had eyelashes for months.

[munchausen]

sufferers say they feel they have to do it - COMPULSION.

So do many self harmers, sometimes I feel like I just have to cut or burn or do something and to be honest some of the time I can't actually help it.

[chelsay13]

Okay, I used to struggle with this. Only not as self-harm. I don't know why, just did. One day I realized it was difficult to lie and hide it.

as for the little debate, I had to look this up because I agree with both.......
The most common self-injurious behaviors are:

* Cutting - involves making cuts or scratches on your body with any sharp object, including knives, needles, razor blades or even fingernails. The arms, legs and front of the torso are most commonly cut because they are easily reached and easily hidden under clothing
* Branding – burning self with a hot object, Friction burn – rubbing a pencil eraser on your skin
* Picking at skin or re-opening wounds (dermatillomania) - is an impulse control disorder characterized by the repeated urge to pick at one's own skin, often to the extent that damage is caused which relieves stress or is gratifying
* Hair-pulling (trichotillomania) – is an impulse control disorder which at times seems to resemble a habit, an addiction, or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. The person has an irresistible urge to pull out hair from any part of their body. Hair pulling from the scalp often leaves patchy bald spots on their head which they hide by wearing hats, scarves and wigs. Abnormal levels of serotonin or dopamine may play a role in this disorder. The combined treatment of using an anti-depressant such as Anafranil and cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) has been effective in treating this disorder. CBT teaches you to become more aware of when you’re pulling, helps you identify your pulling habits, and teaches you about what emotions and triggers are involved in hair pulling. When you gain awareness of pulling, you can learn to substitute healthier behaviors instead.
* Hitting (with hammer or other object), Bone breaking, Punching, Head-banging (more often seen with autism or severe mental retardation)
* Multiple piercing or tattooing - may also be a type of self-injury, especially if pain or stress relief is a factor
* Drinking harmful chemicals

(http://helpguide.org/mental/self_injury.htm)