Treating Children with Trichotillomania

One of the most important factors in the treatment of trichotillomania in children is to catch the diagnosis early and begin treatment as soon as possible. Treatment of trichotillomania in children is much the same as the treatment of adults with TTM. If a child is treated in the early stages of hair pulling episodes the less likely the child will have severe symptoms in their adult life. Untreated trichotillomania can lead to a whole host of problems for your child as well as yourself.

What is Trichotillomania in Children

Trichotillomania is the uncontrollable pulling of the hair. A child with trichotillomania will pull out their hair for no apparent reason and often are not even aware they are doing it. Just like an adult with this hair pulling disorder, the disorder of pulling out your hair must be met with treatment from a trained mental and medical professional. Some children have more severe cases of trichotillomania to where they have many bald spots on their head due to the pulling out of the hair, the child may also eat the hair which is dangerous as it could lead to a blockage in the intestines.

What Causes Trichotillomania
The absolute cause of trichotillomania is still unknown; however, many specialists in this field find that a person who pulls out their own hair can be somewhat categorized with obsessive compulsive disorder . The ingredients are there. The child has an uncontrollable urge to pull their hair and they act on their obsession and compulsively pull out their hair.

This can be causes by a nervous tic, stress, or for no reason at all. Often the child is not even aware they are pulling out their hair until the parent catches them in the act of pulling or once they have a handful of hair in their hand. Many children and adults with trichotillomania report that the pulling out of the hair is not painful and some have been known to actively be pulling out their hair while watching television and be none the wiser that at the same time they are pulling hair out of their head.

What is the Best Treatment for Trichotillomania in Children

Most mental health professionals that deal with treating children with trichotillomania tend to use medication as a last resort for treating the symptoms of TTM. The first part of treating TTM will involve behavioral therapy that will include teaching the child habit reversal techniques. This type of therapy will help the child become more aware of what they are doing and by paying more attention to their actions and behaviors the more likely they are to stop pulling their hair randomly or out of boredom.

The habit reversal portion of the treatment will teach the child a healthier alternative behavior in place of pulling their hair. They will be taught other things they can do to keep their hands busy or their mind off the urge to pull the hair.

Why Keeping a Journal of Hair Pulling Episodes is Important

It is common and often encouraged that at least one member of the family attend some therapy sessions with the child. This will not only help the parent better understand what their child is going through but will also give them insight on how they can positively help their child overcome the symptoms of trichotillomania. Some therapist will suggest keeping a journal regarding hair pulling. Since some children are not old enough to keep a journal themselves, it will be up to the parent to log in the journal.

Some entries that will be in the journal will include what the child was doing and thinking about prior to a hair pulling episode, how long they pulled their hair before they noticed what they were doing, how many hairs were pulled, how the child felt emotionally and physically while pulling out their hair, and how they felt and acted after a hair pulling episode. This information will help the treating physician to better treat the child and set up a plan of care that will help the child with trichotillomania.

Treating Child with Trichotillomania

Like most other medical and mental conditions each child will require a unique care plan to treat the symptoms of trichotillomania. For some children having behavioral therapy with habit reversal training is enough to reduce or stop the hair pulling episodes. Other children; however, may require the use of certain medications as well as therapy in order to obtain positive results.

Medicating a child with trichotillomania is common especially if the child has depression or anxiety and also if talk therapy is not enough to help reduce the hair pulling. It will be up to the doctor, the parent, and the benefits of the medication to decide how long to have the child with trichotillomania on medication. The most often prescribed medications for TTM are those with SSRIs in them. More information about TTM can be found here.

If your child has been pulling out their hair and you believe they have the hair pulling disorder known as trichotillomania, you should schedule an appointment with their pediatrician right away. Your child's primary doctor may be able to help treat your child with TTM or will be able to give you a referral to a specialist that can help your child. If trichotillomania is left untreated both medically and emotionally the chances of depression, anxiety, and social problems will increase in your child as they grow older. It is best to begin treatment of trichotillomania as soon as symptoms arise (pulling out hair).

Sources:

www.trich.org

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0002485/

http://www.brighthub.com/mental-health/ocd/articles/116620.aspx

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