Trichotillomania- a Compulsive Disorder

I remember children asking me, what happened to your hair? I would usually just walk past blushing. What they didnt know and what many people dont know is about a compulsive behavior called Trichotillomania. Its a long word but it means hair pulling madness. As much as one percent of the population has this compulsion yet to many doctors it is still unknown.

When a person has Trichotillomania they repeatedly pull out their own hair. Most people pull their hair from their scalp but it can also be pulled from the eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair. Many will pull the hair out and examine it. Others will immediately discard it onto the floor. One common occurence among people with this compulsion is the examining of the hair root. Many pullers seem fascinated with this white bulb at the end of the hair. They will run it along their lips or even bite it off and eat it. Some pullers may even eat not only the root but the whole piece of hair. This can cause alot of problems because humans cannot digest hair. It stays in their body forming a potentially threatening ball.

Many people want to know why pullers go through this process. Although not a lot is known about this condition many of this is thought to be caused by anxiety. When a puller is anxious about something they may pull out hair in order to relieve tension. Its basically a stress reliever. Psychologists have related this to a cutter who needs to feel the blade across their skin in order to feel relieved. Another factor that seems to be related is depression. Psychologists have found that more people who are depressed ingage in destructive rituals such as this.

If you suffer from Trichotillomania there is help out there for you. There are many different medicines that you can take. However I have found in my struggle that medicine alone does not work. Since little is known about the causes of Trichotillomania, Many of the medicines that are prescribed do not target trichotillomania itself but they target depression. I have been given many precriptions that have not worked including Paxil and Wellbutren. Another more effectie way to treat this is through behavioral therapy. If this does not work you could try going to a hypnotherapist. However the method that worked for me was a combination of both medicine and behavioral therapy. There are also many websites that I went on that helped me learn that I wasn't alone and gave me hope for the future. If you know anyone with this condition or have it yourself help is out there and remember you are not alone!