What is Trichotillomania, often known as the Hair-Pulling Disorder?
As a condition of impulse control, trichotillomania is medically recognized as such. Those who suffer from trichotillomania can’t resist the impulse to pull out their hair from their head or another part of their body. Although patients observe thinning hair and eventual bald spots, many cannot break this habit. It’s more than just a nervous habit that can be broken with willpower alone. This pattern of behavior is usually detrimental to the individual and causes them great emotional distress.
Hair ripping can happen anywhere on the body. Eyebrows, eyelashes, and body hair are not the only hairs that patients pluck. Patients often pick out hairs one by one, generally selecting hairs based on their color or texture of preference. Skin-picking, lip-biting, and nail-biting are all examples of repeated habits that focus on the body. Trich sufferers struggle to control their cravings despite a solid wish to stop self-injuring in this way. This causes not only bodily harm but also severe mental anguish. A patient’s inability to self-regulate is not his or her fault.
Trichotillomania: What Gives Rise to It?
Trichotillomania research is still in its infancy, with little known about its causes or therapies. Trich has been connected to one’s genetics and is considered a neurological condition. Most cases of compulsive hair-pulling can be traced back to emotional distress. Those who suffer from Trichotillomania have a biologically and neurologically based propensity to use hair pulling as a coping technique. Some research suggests that folliculitis (inflammation of the hair root) or sensitivity to the highly natural and normal skin yeast, Malassezia, may be to blame for the itch-like urge reported by 80% of hair pullers.
Patients have difficulty breaking this compulsive behavior pattern because of the cyclical nature of Trich-related issues. The act itself exacerbates the emotional instability that leads to hair-pulling. Patients may feel temporarily relieved after a bout of pulling, but they often suffer significant long-term emotional effects due to their behavior. People who pull often describe themselves as “freakish” or “crazy” because of the stigma associated with their odd conduct.
Assistance and Care
If you or someone you know suffers from Trich, know that stopping hair pulling is feasible, if challenging.
Trichotillomania can be treated. However, there is currently no recognized cure. Learning to rein in compulsive hair-pulling behaviors can help patients overcome their condition. Symptoms can be managed successfully by medication, cognitive behavior therapy, and support groups for those who pull off their hair. Patients who undergo CBT are taught to keep tabs on their behaviors, recognize and avoid high-risk options, determine the pull’s purpose, face unpleasant truths, and cultivate mindfulness.
Methods that have proven effective include visualizing positive outcomes, engaging in auto-hypnosis, keeping a notebook to track triggers and trigger locations, modifying behavior, and combining various approaches.
Top Trich-Reducing Advice
Using these strategies, you can defeat Trich right now!
What matters most are systems and structures.
Do not take any chances with your healthcare. Remove the uncertainty by establishing rules and a framework within which to operate. That is crucial.
In case of an error
Do not punish yourself excessively for mistakes. This is inevitable and how things go sometimes. Simply view this setback as an opportunity to learn more about your unique case of Trich so that you can find a treatment that works best for you. Document your failures and self-improvement ideas in a journal. The plan is to reduce the number of times progressively you pull systematically until one day you realize you haven’t drawn in a very long time, and that feeling of frustration from trying to quit cold turkey is long gone.
Divert attention
Do something else, like walking, doing needlepoint, writing in a notebook, etc., whenever you want to rip out your hair. Distraction isn’t just about giving yourself something else to focus on; it’s also about retraining your brain so that it no longer seems unnatural to pull at your trigger periods.
Locate Appropriate Time Triggers
Of course, there will be occasions when you find yourself yanking off strands of hair without apparent cause. If you get into a trance and pull while doing other activities (such as reading or watching TV), you may find wearing weights on your arms during these potentially dangerous moments helpful.
Putting the mirror down
Quit staring at your reflection! Doing so will merely draw your attention to the problem and highlight your inability to exercise self-control. This is after you have already pulled to assess the damage. If you avoid looking in the mirror for a while, new hair will grow in the bald spot before you know it. One of the most critical factors in my happiness and accomplishment was breaking the habit of constantly staring at my reflection.
Mind your diet.
The groundwork for defeating Trich and regaining hair growth begins with a physically healthy body. Nutrition has been linked in numerous studies to increased impulses to withdraw. Regularly exercise, eat a healthy, balanced diet, and avoid processed foods as much as possible. During exercise, increased blood flow to your scalp can help your hair grow more quickly and calm your follicles.
Visit internet discussion groups for advice.
Make good use of the many accessible online and offline support groups. However, choose carefully which one you will join. Give other options a shot until you find one that works for you. Be wary of joining a club full of moaners and groaners who want to sympathize with you; instead, look for one that is upbeat, believes in a cure, and wants to aid you in your achievement. Such groupings are doomed to failure because they have accepted that outcome in their thoughts. You need the appropriate frame of mind to overcome Trich because it is a condition. Keeping a sunny disposition is essential, so put yourself in the company of upbeat people. If you can, find a group of people who have conquered Trich, and you can learn from their experiences. Consider trying a system to help you break the hair-pulling habit.
You may finally end your hair-pulling days with the groundbreaking new TrichStop System. Follicle-soothing and stimulating serums are combined with all the research, understanding, and practical, easily implemented suggestions of a former hair-puller.
Originally published at http://EzineArticles.com/7324137.
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