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health advisory Hospital Mental Health 2007-11-15 18:59:57

split my ends all the time, and pull out strands of hair and play with them....everyone notices, but i cant stop!!! Does this mean I have Trichotillomania??

How do I get help for it w/o my mom thinking im nuts

Answer:

Hey,

You may well be a Trichy, like me, and if so, welcome to the club! If you're pulling out enough hair that the sides are uneven, or you have bald patches, you probably have Trich. If you are just anxious and pull out a few strands, ya probably dont.

If you try to stop, does it feel awful, like you have to so it again?

Good luck, there isnt any real treatment for Trich so you may just have to invest in hats...or wigs...

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First off, having trich does not mean you are nuts. I've had it almost my entire life and believe me, I'm one of the sanest people I know :)

I've read that some people have had success with anti-depressant medication and/or cognitive behavioral therapy. Personally, I haven't found anything that worked but I'm suspicious that's because my trich doesn't bother me nearly as much as it bothers other people who might catch me pulling. It doesn't happen often, though. Usually, I don't pull in front of people other than those I'm really comfortable with like my immediate family.

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You might.

Trichotillomania is an obsessive compulsive behavior.

You should seek out a psychologist/psychiatrist who specalizes in Trichotillomania.

Medication might be perscribed, but behavior therapy will be effective.

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Psych major is wrong. He needs to do more research. Trich is not OCD. It is a Body Focused Disorder.

Good Link below

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