Other Trichotillomania (hair pulling) and other body focused repetitive disorders

[saoirserylyn]

I'm currently working towards quitting smoking as I've realized it sends my anxiety sky rocketing. Small steps end up with huge progress. Glad to hear you've found a way to turn those feelings around.

 

[Crayon]

Hey everyone,

Although I'm new here and don't have a lot of experience, I'd like to comment on this post.

Since my last bout of heavy depression I've signed up with a therapist and got diagnosed with PTSD 2 weeks ago. I went in yesterday for my second appointment. My therapist had discussed this topic with her supervisor and with a psychiatrist, I told her on the first appointment I'm pulling hairs from my eyebrows. Sometimes it happens unconsciously (when I'm watching a movie or reading something) sometimes I do it on purpose by rubbing my eyebrows and pulling the hairs with my fingers. It's very addictive and almost impossible to stop. This resulted in bald patches in the center of my eyebrows of about 2,5cm (1 inch) long. I use make-up to cover up the patches.

My therapist told me it was a form of self-harm (because I do it for the pain). She said it's like biting your nails. When I'm severely stressed out it starts. She told me that for now (we entered the stabilization period of the treatment) it's ok. I told her I'd try to stop pulling my right eyebrow so that it can grow back. I've tried replacing the hair pulling with something else (stress ball etc) but that doesn't help all that well.

My left eyebrow looks way worse than my right, so for now if someone notices it, I say I had an accident when lighting the BBQ. This excuse is a great motivation for staying off my right eyebrow, I guess burning off one eyebrow is more believable than two lol :angelic::D.
What's funny by the way, when I told my partner I was looking for a stress-ball to stop plucking my eyebrow out he told me I should buy a fake eyebrow and pluck that haha :roflmao:. It helps having someone supportive with a sense of humor sometimes =)

 

[Anna]

I tend to pick and tear at my lip when I am anxious, I will pick it until it bleeds. I found instead of picking chewing gum or applying lip balm helped to stop it. I have to do something when I get nervous whether it be drumming on a table or whatever. I find trying to find another "habit" which is not so damaging to the body is the best way, such as chewing gum, or finger drums. The energy has to discharge itself somehow.

 

[stjohn1633]

I started pulling at my hair when I was pretty young, I remember first trying to quit when I was 13, so it was before that. I was able to quit a few times in my life, the last time being 6 months long. Now that my baby is in the hospital, and she had almost died, the pulling started again. I don't try to pull the hair out, so I don't know if I actually have the disorder, but I do accidentally pull it out often, since my hair is so fragile. After iquit for a while, my hair is obviously thicker at my hair line. What I do is pinch the hair at my scalp and pull the hair through my fingers, then I rub the oil between my fingers. My hair isn't super oily but it's enough to feel it between my fingers. I look for the hairs that feel bumpy. I'm more inclined to pull when I'm nervous or reading. I never thought I'd still be doing this at 30 years old and I still want to quit.

 

[Candleflames]

It's been a while and I thought I'd give another update. I am still mostly pull and pick free. While I do have occasional relapses I am able to maintain a full head of hair and my skin has never looked better. For me and this particular issue CBT worked wonders.

It's been great to have hair to play with, for a while I had a purple mohawk. Now my hair is too long to stand up but it's still purpley-pink. I have eyebrows and eyelashes again too.

 

[watundah]

Cuticles. Gnawed on and ripped off. It's much better since Im not working. Used to kewp me occupied during meetings. Now usually only during movies or watching tv which is wierd because Im completely preoccupied and stress free...

 

[NoWhereKnowWhere]

Yup eye brows, eye lashes used to pull out my hair but the bald patches causes too much questions and I found that so stressful that I managed to stop. And yup @watundah I bite and rip the hell out of my cuticles. I bite the inside of my mouth and I bite my tongue I'll pick,pluck and squeeze just about anything. I've never even thought of getting treatment for it it's strangely enjoyable or maybe satisfying is a better word for it as well as soothing.

Strange I don't really think about it. It's sort of like habitual.

 

[Kimberley]

oh yeah I know this one. black heads /pimples & ingrown hairs. anything like that. I had always been a squeezer. but its so soothing. when you get bad acne still in your 30s... its not good. I go to extremes when Ive taken drugs. its like getting into a meditative zone. I can turn my brain off. but Ive gone to far at times. I think because no one can see my hurt I want to look damaged. my ex-husband used to walk past the bathroom & say that's disgusting.... or so unattractive... then all I felt was shame. if he had just said are you ok. you shouldn't do that to your beautiful face.

 

[stjohn1633]

Still pulling here. It's so annoying. Why is it addictive? It's like I have to be doing something with my hands. I need more peace. I need to be peaceful.