What is TRICHOTILLOMANIA?
I’ve read about many types of obsessive compulsive disorders.
People walking around a table non-stop for several minutes or hours. Washing skin too much that the skin starts to peel. Being so meticulous in cleaning, people think they are in a museum when they are in your house. Nail bitting to the meat. Eating bricks. Inhaling gasoline.
But it is not often you hear about someone struggling with Trichotillomania.
Trichotillomania is an OCD disorder when a man or woman obsessively pull their hair out. It does not have to be hair on their scalp. Beard hair, chest hair and even pubic hair are not safe from a Trichotillomania victim.
Why does Trichotillomania begin? It is hard to explain. More than often, the individual is under some type of duress, usually from stress, health problems or some type of mental or physical anguish.
Many report Trichotillomania with calming and relieving. One MadameNoire writer suffering from Trichotillomania stated the following:
Much like any other bad habit that’s hard to break, I’ve found an oddly soothing comfort in plucking strands. It’s not at all painful and I’ve done it whether my hair has been permed, texturized or in its natural state.
But as you guessed, there are side effects to this unusual type of OCD. The most obvious is Trichotillomania damages your hair follicle. Depending on how many times a hair strand is pulled, you could be doing damage so harsh, it will not grow back. This is especially true for people pulling hairs from their scalp.
It is not usual for the Trichotillomania patient to have patches of missing hair on their heads.
Because of the change in appearance and potential embarrassment, most Trichotillomania patients pull their hair out in private.
Fortunately, there are treatment plans for Trichotillomania but they involve more psychotic methods in channeling destructive behaviors into productive ones.
In fact, there are many online sources for dealing with Trichotillomania. The Trichotillomania Learning Center is the most popular one online.
If you or a loved one is contending with the damaging effects of Trichotillomania, please visit the Trichotillomania Learning Center for more information and support.
