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Similar Content
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By lane8907
OK...so this is my story. It is a little long, slightly embarrassing, and more than likely a little TMI for some. However, I want to share to gain insight on whether or not this sounds like Trichotillomania or some other obsessive disorder.
When I was a young child, maybe two or three, I used to pull out clumps of my hair. I would twist it around my fingers, and then just pull it all out. When my parents asked me about why I did it, I told them, "The boogey man made me do it." Now I don't remember this. Obviously I was too young, but I find it a little disturbing. However this behavior stopped by the time I started school at the age of 5.
When I was maybe 8 or 9, the behavior started again, but it changed from the hair on my head to my eyelashes. My parents thought I did it because my eyes were itchy or something, but I just loved to pull them out. I would pull them out one by one. I can remember staring at each one and sometimes would even rub the end of each one along my lips just to feel the tickle. Then, I would line them up on my leg as I pulled them out and count them. I would tell myself that I would stop after 10, but then I would keep going and only stop because I didn't want to get in trouble if my parents caught me pulling them out.
Eventually, after having to wash my eyes everyday with baby shampoo at the request of mom and dad, I stopped pulling out my eyelashes. Next, by about the age of 13 I moved to my eyebrows. I would pluck my eyebrows eveyday. This seemed ok because I was doing it for beauty purposes. I never really got obsessed with these like I have other parts of my body.
Also, I began again to pull out hair on my scalp. This time however, it was not big clumps of hair it was just one at a time. I would search diligently to find the "perfect" hair to pull out. I would look for one that had an odd "scrunchy" like tecture that stood out from my usually fine, slick hair. Once I pulled it out, I would look at it and play with it some. I would see how much it would stretch and usually I desired to show it to someone because I thought it was "cool" but never did because I was embarrassed.
Now, comes the most embarrassing part of my story. At about 17 I began plucking hair from my pubic area. The only person who knows about this is my now husband. I have always been embarassed about this. Sometimes when I go to the bathroom, I just can't resist the urge to pluck a few while I am sitting there. Sometimes I will have finished using the restroom, but stay in there for 10 ir 15 minutes just plucking out my hairs. I LOVE to see ones where I get the whole hair: the folicle, the root, the white bulb on the end, the skin attached to it etc. It is so gratifying and don't me started on going after ingrown hairs. Its like, when I spot one, I just cannot stop until I pull that thing out no matter how painful and no matter how bloody.
The worst part about it is its not just my hair I go after. My poor husband has been a victim as well. Sometimes we will be laying in bed and while my head is on his chest I will notice a hair that seems darker than the others. I will start playing with it in my fingers then before I know it I have yanked it from his chest. I have done this to his beard as well. He knows I am slightly obsessed with pulling out hair, but I don't think he or I have really realized how obsessed I really am.
It was last night that I realized I am worse than I thought. I sat for 2 hours and plucked out all of my pubic hair. I am so embarassed. It looks absolutely dreadful down there. It hurts. I am afraid for my husband to see it, and yet, I was just plucking at it again about an hour before stumbling across this forum.
Does this sound like trichotillomania? Does anyone have any suggestions for changing the behavior? Btw there is history of mental illness in my family OCD and multiple personalities and others I am sure.
Thanks.
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By csp-angie
Hello everyone!
My current pursuit involves my need to spread the word about an organization in the works for people with Trichotillomania or Dermatillomania- the Canadian BFRB Support Network (CBSN). It will be the 2nd non-profit organization in the world dedicated to providing support to those of us with Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) and parents/ partners of sufferers.
We are allies with the Trichotillomania Learning Center and they have been a huge help in supporting our efforts. You can become involved by joining CBSN via the links below. With such little resources available worldwide, don't hesitate to join if you're not Canadian!
www.facebook.com/CanadianBFRB
www.twitter.com/CanadianBFRB
www.canadiantrich.wordpress.com (will be changed to compliment the inclusion of all BFRB's)
Please join to bring skin pickers and hair pullers worldwide together so we can grow the BFRB community stronger, thus reducing stigma and educating the masses about our disorders. Thank you! xox
<3 Angie
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By ohheyitschloe
I have been compulsively picking at my scalp for years. It started when I was in sixth or seventh grade and now I'm a junior in college and continue the habit. I think the habit started when I noticed a scab or two on my scalp. I picked at those scabs, and then they came back, and I created new sores in the process. Once I start picking my scalp, it is very hard for me to stop.
I have never told anyone about this habit because I am aware that it's gross and I don't think anyone will understand. It wasn't until today that I read about skin picking being added to the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and thought it sounded similar to my problem, so I looked around on the Internet and found out other people have the same problem.
I want to get help for my condition but I don't know how. I do not want to form permanent bald spots on my head but I do not think that I can stop picking on my own. I am already taking Paxil for depression and anxiety but like I said, no one knows that I have this problem. I guess I also have a bit of trichotillomania because I compulsively pull out my pubic hairs at night.
How can I stop these habits?
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By eos
I have bulimia which I can reasonably control, some general anxiety - also not too bad but I've had trichotillomania for several years & now it's really bad. I've tried two SSRIs Zoloft & Lexapro 50mg & 10mg but the nausea side effects of both were so bad that I couldn't keep taking them as they were causing a serious bulumia relapse.
I am seeing the doctor soon & the two main side effects I cannot deal with are nausea & weight gain. Is it worth trying any of the a-typical anti-psychotics as the seem to all cause weight gain? I've tried Seroquel 25mg and it just made me insanely hungry but not sure if the dosage needed to be higher.
Am considering an MAOI like Mannerix but people seem to say meds for tics and tourettes work well also - any advice at all would be so helpful. Finally I live in Ireland so some drugs you guys have aren't available here & my doctor needs me to educate her - most doctors here really don't know much about trich.
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By eos
Hi,
I have bulumia which I can reasonably control, some general anxiety - also not too bad but I've had trichotillomania for several years & now it's really bad. I've tried two SSRIs Zoloft & Lexapro 50mg & 10mg but the nausea side effects of both were so bad that I couldn't keep taking them as they were causing a serious bulumia relapse.
I am seeing the doctor soon & the two main side effects I cannot deal with are nausea & weight gain. Is it worth trying any of the a-typical anti-psychotics as the seem to all cause weight gain? I've tried Seroquel 25mg and it just made me insanely hungry but not sure if the dosage needed to be higher.
Am considering an MAOI like Mannerix but people seem to say meds for tics and tourettes work well also - any advice at all would be so helpful. Finally I live in Ireland so some drugs you guys have aren't available here & my doctor needs me to educate her - most doctors here really don't know much about trich.
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