Trichotillomania

[Dyani]

Trichotillomania is defined by some people as an impulse-control disorder and by others as a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder. Although it's defined as a psychological problem, this doesn't mean a sufferer is 'mad'. Research has shown that, apart from their habit, people with trichotillomania have a healthy psyche. But it may be associated with depression, anxiety and other problems.

Trichotillomania is quite common - affecting at least two per cent of the population - and mostly starts around puberty or early adulthood. The person usually pulls out hair from the scalp or face (eyelashes or eyebrows) because it's easily accessible, but may pull out body hair, too. People often start by pulling out damaged hairs to relieve an itch or a follicle, but as the habit progresses they may lose any reason for it.

I thought I'd post about this because it affects so many of us and yet is a relatively unknown problem. This isn't just for randomness' sake, I suffer from it. Thought it was worth putting in here rather than the Emo Thread because no-one actually looks in there unless the poster is popular.

I've suffered this for nigh-on 6 years now (since year 10) and I can't stop it. It started out as a perfectionist thing (take out a hair that makes my hair parting unequal) but now its turned into a full flung thing that I find extremely hard to resist. In the past, I have actually had bald patches on top of my head twice and my scalp has bled. I currently have a large patch of hair missing from my back left side. Its regrowing but this is the third time that side has almost gone bald and the regrown is pretty thin on the ground.

This is not meant to be an emo thread really, just a shout out to anyone that knows of this condition plus input from me.
(PM me if anyone has got any personal questions for me)

[Dare]

Ah yes, I believe one of my friends had this.
*nodnods*
It's kind of lumped into the same boat as nail-biting and skin picking, is it not?
*is a skin-picker*

[Dyani]

I guess so, it all depends how severe the case is really. You can get people who just nibbles a little at overgrown nails then you get those who gnaw all the way down to the cuticle.
/shrug

[Avalon]

I am nail-biter, I seriously can't stop, not even that nail-polish stuff works on me :/ Some say hypnosis works to some degree but I think I have reached some point of no return, my nails are bitten down severly I think it's even beyond the cuticle o.o And many people who see my fingers asked me if they constantly hurt? And the answere is no it doesn't, I think I may have nawed off some nervs in process :/ I am not ashamed of my fingers and my nail-biting is a subconsious thing. I also think I know when it started, I've always been a really nervous person, and I never really liked anything girly.. I somehow associated long nails with this girl aspect that I didn't really like.. so I believe that is why I began nawing my nails off. Over the course of the decades it has become a subconsious thing :E

[Stormfury]

I crack my knuckles all the time but I think that's a nerve issue... Also I've done that since I was a kid; quite common I think.

Am sorry to hear that Dyani, I'm not really familiar with that disorder, but I'd see a local doctor perhaps he/she could give you some insight / diagnostic on the situation.

:hugs:

[Zoltan]

Originally posted by Avalon
I am nail-biter, I seriously can't stop, not even that nail-polish stuff works on me :/ Some say hypnosis works to some degree but I think I have reached some point of no return, my nails are bitten down severly I think it's even beyond the cuticle o.o And many people who see my fingers asked me if they constantly hurt? And the answere is no it doesn't, I think I may have nawed off some nervs in process :/ I am not ashamed of my fingers and my nail-biting is a subconsious thing. I also think I know when it started, I've always been a really nervous person, and I never really liked anything girly.. I somehow associated long nails with this girl aspect that I didn't really like.. so I believe that is why I began nawing my nails off. Over the course of the decades it has become a subconsious thing :E

Okay girl, I know the solution.

Being nervous is just way tooo girly. Be cool, calm and stop gnawing :bleen: Plus think of your guitar. A cool guitarist must have longer nails than usual! :claw: :irule:

[Avalon]

Well Zoltan, I can play guitar perfectly well without nails :3 They don't hinder me x) It's easy to tell someone to stop, but for the person in question stopping is not that easy when it's a subconious thing, most of the time I am not aware that I am doing it.

Who said being nervous was girly? :/ I am a sociophobe; nervous around people specifically so fixing this nervousness isn't the easiest thing.
Infact I don't think it's fixable, as far as it had gone.

[Dyani]

Avalon's right. Some people can just up and kick the habit of something like this. They can just stop. Others don't find it as easy.
Its a silly thing to do, but strangely very difficult to stop.

Sonique - I was only wondering where you had dissapeared to the day you posted. Thought you looked suspicious! I would go to the doctors, but what would they do? They'd either refer me to a psychiatrist or just give me drugs. My parents aren't much help because they think that me pulling my hair is stupid. If I even considered saying that I'd like to see a doctor because of it, they'd probably take it as a personal slur.

[Stormfury]

Originally posted by Dyani

Sonique - I was only wondering where you had dissapeared to the day you posted. Thought you looked suspicious! I would go to the doctors, but what would they do? They'd either refer me to a psychiatrist or just give me drugs. My parents aren't much help because they think that me pulling my hair is stupid. If I even considered saying that I'd like to see a doctor because of it, they'd probably take it as a personal slur.

Aww... :hugs:

If your parents think a condition is stupid, then either they don't care or they are so engulfed with somethings else, (which in turn makes them irresponsible.) Well I hope you have other family members that'll listen to ya love... AND you have us to help ya figure things out ... (hehe.) ^^;

:cheese: :hakuna:

[nathalie]

Psychiatrists are usually there to help, aren't they?

Maybe you could consider, it might help.

[Dyani]

Well I went to the doctors for a normal appointment yesterday (for more Pillz!) and mentioned my problem to him. He's going to get back to me on it after talking to another doc about it.
So yea! :)

[Zoltan]

But hey, how much better you could play with longer nails! You won't find out it you don't try it :]

My catchword is: Everything is possible. It's just a matter or power of will. Practice :]

[O_o]

i have some things with this too but im not sure how to say it so im not gonna say something about it till i know what, so maybe ill see you later in this thread

[Stormfury]

Originally posted by Dyani
Well I went to the doctors for a normal appointment yesterday (for more Pillz!) and mentioned my problem to him. He's going to get back to me on it after talking to another doc about it.
So yea! :)

Glad to hear it, Dyani! :cheese:

[lionloversam]

I feel silly saying this because I always considered these 'normal habits'. But, I bite my nails, not just bite but gnawl them down till I can't get my teeth on them. Sometimes I go as far as starting to bite away the first layer of skin ontop of my finger. I also crack my neck, wrists and ankles occasionally. My fingers I crack alot.

[Aurelian]

Don't know about hair pulling, but eveybody in my family has some sort of OCD or another. I myslef still struggle not to do everything in equivelints of four, though it has gotten much easier as I got older.

I do not see nervousness as a "girly" thing. I know many females with much more couragge then me, Nathalie for instance. (:hugs:).

I have severel phobias and post traumatic fears. Like Avalon, I am not a people person, and can not handle crowds. I can be in front of a crowd fine, but within one, I feel like I am sufficating. I am terrified of fast rides and free falls. This is due to a truamtic event I had on a coaster when I was younger. Clowns and mimes scare the pants of me. (Shifty eyes) I don't trust them. While I am not afraid of the drak, I need sme sort of light while I sleep. I am afriad of waking up in the dark.
Oh, and I HATE blood and guts horror movies. Don't ask me to watch "Saw" or "The Hills have Eyes". I won't do it.

[Utora]

I picked at some..wounds? Dunno what to call it. Picking. I'm scarred on my shoulders mainly. Wearing long sleeves helps.

I also do this thing called 'binking'..mom named it that.

:confused:

I hold this toy soldiers and clench it to death..or a napkin and keep mealing it until it's dust. I don't have the problem anymore..I occupy my wee brain.

:cheese:

More or less it's a coping mechanism for stress, fear, anixety; which is very more common in the world and peoples lives now.

I claw at my flesh..or scratch it to death on my lower arm when I'm frustrated in thought. Never gets serious..just very annoying.

It's almost natural in humans. My cats so stressed [God knows why] he rips fur out his back. Had to get him a cone.