Constant Urge to Pull

Here's some possible help. I found this article recently and tried it just yesterday with some success at stopping my pulling:



Decoupling: A new method for reducing nail biting and hair pulling by Prof. Dr. Steffen Moritz, Antonia Peters and PD Dr. Michael Rufer.

http://www.uke.de/kliniken/psychiatrie/downloads/klinik-psychiatrie-psychotherapie/decoupling_for_TLC_19_2_10.pdf



It involves doing a different behavior instead of pulling to help you manage your Trich.



I started pulling in 10th grade and I was at a new school too. I just recently came out about my Trich to my family and friends too. I'm hoping they'll be supportive. My mom has always used tweezers to excess so she can understand. I wonder if it's hereditary?



If you find a way to manage your stress in college, please post about it so we can learn. I don't want to take meds either.

Hi,

I'm a teenager, and I suffered from trich since sixth grade. I know it doesn't seem as serious as those who have had it for a longer time, but I pulled so much hair. I pulled from my scalp, eyebrows, armpits, arms, and knees. It got really bad and my parents noticed my scalp and eyebrow problem. I had a bald spot on my head that was approximately the size of a large golf ball. I had to pin my hair in a special way so that the remaining hair covered the bald spot. In middle school, kids are really stuck on their appearances, and it made me feel really self conscious. When people asked me what happened to my eyebrows, I told them that my cousin was straightening my hair and accidentally burned them off. This has been a constant struggle for me, and I want to thank you all for sharing your experiences with me. Like some of you, I also pull at my split ends. I made a promise to myself to get through a whole year with no armpit plucking, which, so far, I have stuck to. I also make deals with God. It sounds really silly, but I always say to myself, "God, I won't pull out any hair until I get the results for this test back if you help me get a good grade." It works, because the motivation and belief that God will make these things happen will aid me in not plucking. Also, I pulled my knee hairs, eyebrows, and armpit hair with my fingernails, which really screwed my nails up. I found that having your nails painted is a good way to obstain from pulling out these hairs because you don't want to mess up your manicure. Thanks for your help, and I hope that you find my information useful!

I also got trich in about 5th grade. I pulled all of my eyebrows out and when you're that age kids just ask you "hey why don't you have eyebrows?" I began to avoid sociallizing with kids because I didn't want to talk about it. I didn't understand what was going on and hated myself for it. I eventually started drawing them on, and my anxiety got slightly better. In late highschool I started also pulling my eyelashes out. I noticed more pulling the more I studied or was at a computer so I stopped doing my college classes.

I started doing drugs so that I would stop feeling so bad about myself and to distract myself from my hairpulling. I did not care if I overdosed or what I was severely depressed and not concerned with my life. I was eventually in a horrible car accident a

I wish all of you guys well in your struggle. I have a close family member with a serious trich issue - it ain't easy. But please Holland I hope you, a part way on the road to stopping, can find a substitute for eyelashes or eyebrows.

I have had trich for 30 years but have found with age that the urges have definately subsided (possibly a hormonal thing, or just getting older and being able to understand why I had suffered from anxiety. Like many people who have posted I too had a traumatic childhood (dad used to beat my mum, he was later diagnosed as a schizophrenic which led to so much embarrassment and shame, and we lived in a bad part of town and constantly in fear of break-ins into our home at night).



At my trich peak I was pulling out hair for over 3 hours at night in bed (and would wake up exrtremely tired), eyebrows, eyelashes and armpits were also targetted - I got a total rush when the hair follicle was very thick and I would run it across my lip before eating the tip. I used to have the Friar Tuck/Monk hairstyle which was challenging to hide to say the least. Vanity eventually kicked in and i was able to stop pulling out my eyebrows, eyelashes and armpit hair but the head was always going to be a problem.



My big bald spot has now reduced to two smaller spots. I have found that if you allow yourself a small area to pull you can reduce the size of the bald spot - let's face it trying to go cold turkey and stopping altogether does not always work so I let myself pull in one area of my head but not the rest. The regrowth definately did not happen overnight, it was more about taking small steps, and there were many relapses but I persevered. Key thing about relapses is that they are likely to happen but don't beat yourself up when they do, just pick yourself up and start over (I did on may occasions) and it's definately paid off. I hope to eventually only have one small spot, I am being realistic that I may not be able to beat trich altogether but I can influence how big I let it get. It's tough and you often wonder "why me" but you know what there are worse things in the world people suffer from so try not to think of yourself as being weird, you're not!

Hi, I am giving private session for free, if you want help. You can see my site here but I am currently helping people free of charge with whatever issue they have, especially trich, I have trich and have stopped pulling myself. since I made this breakthrough in my life, I decide I had to show others so I put together a site http://www.quittrich.com, this technique has help me stop. I have a long story about it. you can contact me at victorydario@gmail.com and visit one of my other sites. http://imastertechniques.com, you can also see I work with a compnay in london here http://www.intensifyme.com/dario



I offer this free help because its my way of being able to keep serving humanity and gaining more experience with this hair pulling addiction. although this technique is not a cure and I am still learning how to teach others what I have done, it is working to help stop the pulling, although it does not elliminate the urge forever, yet. I would like to help as many people as I can for free who have trich. If you are willing to put in some effort, and do a very intense exercise, I am sure i can help you stop pulling.



sincerely

wow that is like almost an identical experience to what i have gone through for the past 5 years. i started doing homeschooling this year (my junior year of high school) because my anxiety attacks last year were so bad. after 7 years of pulling out my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, i finally have hair on my head and am working very hard on getting my eyelashes and eyebrows back. i think it is possible for you to achieve the goal of not using medication to make your problem go away. it took a lot of therapy for me to finally stop. it sounds like you are very comfortable with your problem which is great, i am also. i think the main goal is to relieve yourself of anxiety and be aware when you are pulling and eventually you wont need to do it. try focusing your coping mechanisms for your anxiety in a different direction instead of pulling and you will probably succeed excellently. i wish you luck :]

by the way, neutral milk hotel is the best.

wow that is like almost an identical experience to what i have gone through for the past 5 years. i started doing homeschooling this year (my junior year of high school) because my anxiety attacks last year were so bad. after 7 years of pulling out my hair, eyebrows and eyelashes, i finally have hair on my head and am working very hard on getting my eyelashes and eyebrows back. i think it is possible for you to achieve the goal of not using medication to make your problem go away. it took a lot of therapy for me to finally stop. it sounds like you are very comfortable with your problem which is great, i am also. i think the main goal is to relieve yourself of anxiety and be aware when you are pulling and eventually you wont need to do it. try focusing your coping mechanisms for your anxiety in a different direction instead of pulling and you will probably succeed excellently. i wish you luck :]

Cyber hug. I pull my hair from my scalp very often. I constantly am paranoid that people can see that I'm balding. I just wanna say, I understand and I feel you and you're not alone and man.. the urge... the urge is so strong!