Ways to control (and stop) Trichotillomania

Hey !

Trichotillomania (trich in short)...ever heard of it?

It's okay if you haven't, not many people know of it. I was confused when I first heard of it but I had to learn what it is because it is something that is a part of me.

Trich.org defines Trichotillomania as "a disorder that causes people to pull out the hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic area, underarms, beard, chest, legs or other parts of the body, resulting in noticeable bald patches." 

(Apparently Trich.org isn't working anymore? So you can look up about trich on http://www.bfrb.org/ )

There isn't a specific cause of trichotillomania but personally my cause of Trich was stress. I remember trying to pull hairs from my arm at the age of 9 and at the age of 10 I moved on to pulling my hair from my head. When I was 10 my life went through a drastic change : my best friend moved to another country, my sister was born and I had important exams coming up.

9 years later and I still suffer from Trich but my urge has lessened and this is because of a number of factors. If you suffer from Trichotillomania I hope that these are of help to you, and please share your story and tips, if you are comfortable with it.

1. Keep your hands busy

This was actually harder than I thought it would be at first but it does help.

1. Start by finding a hobby that requires the use of hands ( writing, DIYs , scrapbooking, anything).

2. Write a to do list : write down a daily to do list in a note book or planner, and get the things done. You know your room; the one you've been avoiding cleaning? Put some music on and get it tidy. It may be boring but that is 15-30 minutes where you've kept your hands busy and not pulled on your hair.

3. *if you have a bath tub* If you like reading, run yourself a bath and read a few chapters in the bath before getting yourself clean. This only works if you are allowed and able to spend quite some time in the bath.

4. This one may be a bore but take down notes during your lessons/lectures. 1) you'll be keeping your hands occupied but 2) you'll also be retaining that information better for your tests.

5. This is for when you're watching Television. I don't know about you but when I watch T.v or a show on my laptop, I tend to play on my tablet. If you have a tablet or a laptop,  find a game that requires the use of two hands to play. For example, I use piano tiles and Hill Climb Racing on my tablet. I am sure there are plenty of games that will strike your fancy.

2. Wear something over your head.
1. Sweater weather starting soon? Grab your beanies ! These will be a life saver. Have a few beanies that go with multiple outfits so you should start with neutral beanies if you want to start your collection. If you are in school and you aren't allowed to wear hats in classes, get your parents to go down to the head of your school to explain the situation. Usually they are okay with it (if the hat matches the uniform). Make sure to get a note from the head though; some teachers may not believe that you have permission.

2. Summer is the time for head scarfs or caps. It's too hot for woollen beanies in the summer so light head scarfs are ideal. And there are so many designs and colours that you won't get bored of wearing them !

3. Embrace it.

I know that this sounds like a useless tip but I swear it helps. When you're ready tell your friends, and tell them that if they catch you doing it to inform you so that you are aware of it. Keeping your habit a secret creates more stress for you so avoid it. Also, if you tell people you'll try not to do it so that they don't catch you doing it.

I think that I felt more comfortable in my own skin when I told my Social Skills Development class that I have trichotillomania. Did I worry that they'd think I'm weird? Oh Yes. But do you know what happened? One of the girls spoke up saying that she has a friend that pulls her eyelashes when she's stressed. I felt so relieved that atleast 1/12 people understood.

I'm not saying that you should announce it to the world, but when you are ready and feel like you are comfortable, let people know. Worried about the people talking about you? Don't. It's who you are, and it isn't weird and it isn't disgusting. We all have our problems in life and everyone handles their problems differently.

4. Take a shower.

If you feel an urge to pull your hair out after a day of success, go shower. It will let all the stress and tension go down the drain and you will feel so much better. I have only discovered that this happens and I swear that it helps so much.

Source : Pinterest

These tips are not helping you to break the habit of pulling your hair. To be able to resist the temptation of pulling your hair, you must first be aware of the fact that you are playing with your hair.

If you don't suffer from trichotillomania but know of someone who does, or you have beaten Trich then leave any tips that can help the rest of us.

And to those who suffer from trichotillomania : You can do this. It will take time but you can do it slowly.

Until next time, lovelies.

~Aby

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