Trichotillomania

Trichotillomania:

compulsive hair pulling

     Trichotillomania is a rare impulse control disorder in which the sufferer compulsively pulls out his or her own hair. People with trichotillomania most commonly pull hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or pubic area. While most people with trichotillomania pluck each hair out at the roots, others may pull out large handfuls at a time.

     Trichotillomania usually begins in childhood or adolescence, frequently coinciding with the onset of puberty. While some children develop hair-pulling habits that subside with age, other individuals continue the behavior throughout adulthood. It is estimated that between one and three percent of Americans suffer from trichotillomania. Of those individuals, approximately 80% are women.

     The direct causes of trichotillomania are unknown; however, many people with the condition also experience similar impulse control disorders, such as skin-picking and nail-biting. In many cases, the individuals suffer from depressive disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder as well. Some evidence suggests that trichotillomania may be genetic or the result of a chemical imbalance. Stress is also believed to play a large role, as periods of high stress have been known to heighten the condition.

     People with trichotillomania are often embarrassed or ashamed about their behavior, leading them to hide it from others. Because of this, low self-esteem is very common among sufferers. Furthermore, the compulsive removal of hair can lead to bald patches on the scalp or eyebrows, which contribute to the sufferer's embarrassment and depression.

     Embarrassing, sad, scary, but true...... this is what I suffer from and have since I was 11.  I have no idea how to stop and if people say, just stop doing it then I would never have this problem in the first place.  I also have no idea how it started or where it came from.  I don't know if anyone is going to come across this who has trich, but you are not alone. Imagine having something that you absolutely could not stop, but you couldn't tell anyone because it sounds absolutely ridiculous.  It's hard to explain to people why I can't stop. 

I guess all I can do is pray