Going bald, not dealing with it well.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 215
Going bald, not dealing with it well.
My hair loss is really starting to **** me off. It suddenly fell out a year ago, mostly at the back of my head to the point where I was wearing a bandana every day to cover the bald patches, or I'd try to cover the patches with makeup. I can't stop scratching at my scalp, or pulling on my hair, so I basically spend hours every day just removing hairs that are ready to come out from my head. I've been doing this for a year now. It's getting pretty bad, sometimes I have blood under my nails from scratching at the bald spots, out of frustration, so I keep my nails very short now. I do it compulsively, doesn't matter where I am.
It isn't that psychological disorder where people pull their hair out, I'm actually going bald in some places, and it's mentally distressing. I can't stop thinking about it because sometimes I get a phantom pain on my head, and I just think, okay, that's another hair follicle that just died, and I start scratching. And I save my lost hairs (now very fine, and short), in a box. I look at the ends of each one. It's becoming a real problem. I devote hours every day to pulling on my hair, out of stress, until my scalp hurts.
Anyway, I'm wondering if anybody experienced this obsessive hair pulling, phantom pains, saving hairs, scratching, or whatever if you went bald.
Posting this here, because this probably started due to my ALD and alcoholism in general. I think it's permanent now though.
It isn't that psychological disorder where people pull their hair out, I'm actually going bald in some places, and it's mentally distressing. I can't stop thinking about it because sometimes I get a phantom pain on my head, and I just think, okay, that's another hair follicle that just died, and I start scratching. And I save my lost hairs (now very fine, and short), in a box. I look at the ends of each one. It's becoming a real problem. I devote hours every day to pulling on my hair, out of stress, until my scalp hurts.
Anyway, I'm wondering if anybody experienced this obsessive hair pulling, phantom pains, saving hairs, scratching, or whatever if you went bald.
Posting this here, because this probably started due to my ALD and alcoholism in general. I think it's permanent now though.
Member
Join Date: Feb 2016
Location: middle of nowhere
Posts: 2,849
I'm so sorry you're dealing with this have you talked to your Dr about it? Hopefully with time and sustained sobriety it will slow or come back normally.
If and when you do go to the Dr hopefully they can offer you some hope in terms of medication that night help. In the mean time have you tried diet change and vitamin therapy? A healthful diet and complex multivitamin (I've heard people have had some good results using keratin?) Will help regardless. As well as working on anxiety triggers and just like dealing with your addiction voice working on redirecting yourself to avoid picking and scratching as much as possible. Maybe invest in some cute hats and bandanas along with the vitamins - something that will give you a bit of a pick me up.
I'm really sorry. Every time I've been at my lowest or sobering up I lost clumps of hair but never to that point and I know how distressing just that was. I also have a nervous tic that involves me twirling my hair endlessly which is childish and annoying. I find doing my hair with enough styling products or pulling it back or in a hat helps.
Another thought... maybe try calling around to a couple.Hugh end salons and see if they can offer advice on things to try. Also maybe going in for a good hair cut in the mean time might help even things out a bit and help the growing out phase.
I do hope you pamper yourself and try to lift your spirits a bit
I was also thinking about asking doc/stylist about putting some kind of ointment on your patches that are bothering you and if your comfortable maybe going to bed in a soft, light toque of some kind to keep it in place while you sleep. I hear a lot of people speak highly of coconut or olive oil but after a few trials of my own I'm leery of putting it on anything but my hands and in food. I dealt with my fair share of skin and nail problems that needed some decent creams or ointments to heal along with proper hydration and consistent care and no home remedies would fix. Save staying sober.
Hang in there.
have you talked to your Dr about it? Hopefully with time and sustained sobriety it will slow or come back normally. If and when you do go to the Dr hopefully they can offer you some hope in terms of medication that night help. In the mean time have you tried diet change and vitamin therapy? A healthful diet and complex multivitamin (I've heard people have had some good results using keratin?) Will help regardless. As well as working on anxiety triggers and just like dealing with your addiction voice working on redirecting yourself to avoid picking and scratching as much as possible. Maybe invest in some cute hats and bandanas along with the vitamins - something that will give you a bit of a pick me up.
I'm really sorry. Every time I've been at my lowest or sobering up I lost clumps of hair but never to that point and I know how distressing just that was. I also have a nervous tic that involves me twirling my hair endlessly which is childish and annoying. I find doing my hair with enough styling products or pulling it back or in a hat helps. Another thought... maybe try calling around to a couple.Hugh end salons and see if they can offer advice on things to try. Also maybe going in for a good hair cut in the mean time might help even things out a bit and help the growing out phase.
I do hope you pamper yourself and try to lift your spirits a bit
I was also thinking about asking doc/stylist about putting some kind of ointment on your patches that are bothering you and if your comfortable maybe going to bed in a soft, light toque of some kind to keep it in place while you sleep. I hear a lot of people speak highly of coconut or olive oil but after a few trials of my own I'm leery of putting it on anything but my hands and in food. I dealt with my fair share of skin and nail problems that needed some decent creams or ointments to heal along with proper hydration and consistent care and no home remedies would fix. Save staying sober.
Hang in there.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2014
Location: UK
Posts: 6,902
You pulling your hair out could well be reversible if you can stop doing it. There's a world of difference between it being pulled out and just falling out I think.
It sounds like a similar way of dealing with stress or anxiety to other kinds of self-harming. Many of my students do similar things when they have sensory overload, pulling hair out, pinching themselves til they bleed, scratching the same place over and over til they are raw.
Can I ask, in your recovery plan, what strategies do you have in place for dealing with anxieties? It may be that this area of your recovery plan could do with an overhaul.
Wishing you all the best for your recovery x
It sounds like a similar way of dealing with stress or anxiety to other kinds of self-harming. Many of my students do similar things when they have sensory overload, pulling hair out, pinching themselves til they bleed, scratching the same place over and over til they are raw.
Can I ask, in your recovery plan, what strategies do you have in place for dealing with anxieties? It may be that this area of your recovery plan could do with an overhaul.
Wishing you all the best for your recovery x
Administrator
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Dancing in the Light
Posts: 61,476
I also suggest talking to your dr. I know this is distressing for you, but there are likely things you can do Also therapy could be helpful for you. If sounds like this is something you are doing obsessively and I would hope that, with medication and therapy, you could move past this.
Member
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: US
Posts: 5,095
I don't know how old you are or how long you've been sober, but hair thinning, even for women, is somewhat normal as we grow older. And when I'm drinking, my hair falls out like crazy....and it drives me crazy.
The hair pulling however, scalp scratching I would think is a form of OCD/anxiety. I think you should definitely talk to a counselor about this.
I take Biotin, Collagen and gelatin. Without a doubt these supplements help my hair, skin and nails. A few weeks ago I would be covered with hairs....all over my clothes. Now? Nothing. Talk to your dr about possibly taking some of these supplements.
The hair pulling however, scalp scratching I would think is a form of OCD/anxiety. I think you should definitely talk to a counselor about this.
I take Biotin, Collagen and gelatin. Without a doubt these supplements help my hair, skin and nails. A few weeks ago I would be covered with hairs....all over my clothes. Now? Nothing. Talk to your dr about possibly taking some of these supplements.
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2016
Location: Toronto, ON
Posts: 215
Hello,
My doctor isn't concerned about me losing my hair. He sent me to a psychiatrist about the problem because he said it had to do with stress. I only pull out the strands that would have fallen out anyway. You can tell by looking at the ends.
I take fish oil, a multivitamin, and back cumin oil every day. :/ So far, there's only been a slight improvement.
My doctor isn't concerned about me losing my hair. He sent me to a psychiatrist about the problem because he said it had to do with stress. I only pull out the strands that would have fallen out anyway. You can tell by looking at the ends.
I take fish oil, a multivitamin, and back cumin oil every day. :/ So far, there's only been a slight improvement.
Guest
Join Date: Oct 2014
Location: Michigan
Posts: 772
If you aren't already sober stop drinking. A friend at a meeting said his hair started to come back after he got sober. He also dropped the anger and probably lives a less stressful lifestyle too. You can do it.
Member
Join Date: Apr 2012
Location: northern michigan. not the U.P.
Posts: 15,281
"I only pull out the strands that would have fallen out anyway. You can tell by looking at the ends."
dont you think, beings how billions of,people dont do,that,that this is some rationalizing?
did you bring this behaviorup with the psychiatrist?
dont you think, beings how billions of,people dont do,that,that this is some rationalizing?
did you bring this behaviorup with the psychiatrist?
Member
Join Date: Feb 2013
Location: W Washington
Posts: 11,589
It isn't that psychological disorder where people pull their hair out, I'm actually going bald in some places, and it's mentally distressing. I can't stop thinking about it because sometimes I get a phantom pain on my head, and I just think, okay, that's another hair follicle that just died, and I start scratching. And I save my lost hairs (now very fine, and short), in a box. I look at the ends of each one. It's becoming a real problem. I devote hours every day to pulling on my hair, out of stress, until my scalp hurts.
i'm sorry, but this sounds VERY psychological....your hair is not falling out all on it's own......you are scratching your scalp til you have blood under your nails, you are constantly pulling ON your hair til your scalp hurts and you are SAVING the hair in a box so you can examine each strand.
you need to share exactly what you shared with us here with the the psychologist. there are ways to manage and change these behaviors, but you have to be honest and willing.
i'm sorry, but this sounds VERY psychological....your hair is not falling out all on it's own......you are scratching your scalp til you have blood under your nails, you are constantly pulling ON your hair til your scalp hurts and you are SAVING the hair in a box so you can examine each strand.
you need to share exactly what you shared with us here with the the psychologist. there are ways to manage and change these behaviors, but you have to be honest and willing.
Currently Active Users Viewing this Thread: 1 (0 members and 1 guests)
