trichotillomania anyone?

healthyboy · Newbie Joined: 28 Dec 2005 Posts: 11

Hi, my younger sister is 14 years old. She is anxious, and has a habit of pulling hair out. Is there anyone else with trichotillomania?

kissie · Silver Member Joined: 28 Jun 2001 Posts: 218

Hi, I suffered from trichotillomania as a kid. I was very shy, perhaps too much. Every time someone yelled at me, I would start pulling my hair, eyelashes and eyebrows out. I have pictures when I was a little girl, you can see hairless areas on my scalp. I don’t remember pulling my hair out, but I remember well how the other kids laughed at me. It was embarrassing. Psychiatrist told me later that I probably developed trichotillomania, as a reaction to my father’s violent behavior. He was beating me a lot, for every little thing. I had behavioral therapy many years before I managed to cure trichotillomania. Your sister probably has something on her mind that she is afraid to talk about.

anonymous0808 · Newbie Joined: 04 Mar 2008 Posts: 3

I've heard that genes may play a role in trich. I have had it for many years and, despite all of the therapy sessions, still have it. There was no triggering event for me -- loving family, well-adjusted in school. I just had tingly (well, have) sensations in my scalp that I need to take care of via pulling. Trich is really different for everyone who has it, but we all have similar (not identical) symptoms.

trichotillomania anyone?

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