Hair pullers?

[deerwalk]

Is anyone else here dealing with hair pulling? Or, as it is termed- trichotillomania? I have not pulled for a few weeks, however this has been a devastating and prevailant condition in my life. Apparently it falls into the OCD spectrum.

[baldjim]

i realise of course being bald jim i could not do it now if i wanted to and if someone else who was bald was posting on this thread i would be the first to make jokes about him

i had a very unhappy child hood and used to pull my hair out quite severly

till my horrible ******* father noticed and used it as yet another reason to beat me if i did it ,i had to stop doing it in my mid teens or else

[deerwalk]

Sorry Jim, that's awful. I understand. It's too cruel to comprehend.

[Overman]

I know a girl that suffers from this. I posted about it before.

It's related to OCD, but OCD can be treated effectively with a cognitive-behavioral approach...like all anxiety-based disorders.

Trich is an impulse control disorder. It relieves anxiety, creates a 'high', and is considered by some to be an 'addictive' behavior; a form of self-mutiliation by others.

It is not always adequately addressed by CBT because of this...as it's not a rational process...it's an impulse.

[Fishman33]

I'm bald too, I wish I could help you.

[deerwalk]

Thanks Overman- I'm aware of all of that. I have never had the income for proper therapy, so I try to deal with it on my own. I can tell you, I definitely do NOT experience a high from this behavior.

[Overman]

If you don't experience a 'high' (probably the wrong term to use), do you experience some form of relief from anxiety?

Trich is a very rare condition, and too many therapists don't know how to treat it effectively. Hope you find help for it.

[deerwalk]

Actually, it's more common than people think- it's just that many people don't make it known that they suffer from it.

I don't really get any sensation from it. It's just something I do, I guess.

[Overman]

Possibly, but the DSM-IV TR reports a prevelance of 0.6% among the American adult population.

You could be right...it is easy to hide, and embarrassing to report.

[deerwalk]

The DSM- IV is not always accurate, and statistics are often inaccurate and/ or misreported. The DSM has changed the definition and names of a number of disorders over the years- I don't put too much faith in it.

[Overman]

Sure it's not 100% accurate, but if you can find a more authoritative source, by all means post it.

Sorry I couldn't be of more help.

[deerwalk]

Thanks for that insightful post, Overman. Again- Is anyone else here dealing with this particular disorder? I'm not here to "split hairs" over information regarding this disorder- for those of you who are confused, I will put it bluntly- I am seeking those who deal with this first hand, as a means of bonding and possible discussion between those who understand via experience as opposed to having read about it. Thanks!

[Daisy09]

Hi Deerwalk,

I PMed you the other day - hope you got my message

Daisy

[deerwalk]

Thanks Daisy!