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an informative thread on trichotillomania :
tw / trichotillomania , trich, hair loss, other mental health disorders such as anxiety , depression and ocd
tw / trichotillomania , trich, hair loss, other mental health disorders such as anxiety , depression and ocd
- what is it?
trichotillomania, commonly referred to as ‘trich’, is a hair pulling disorder which is classified under ocd, it’s when a person has uncontrollable urges to pull hair from commonly their scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes but can be any hair on their body,
trichotillomania, commonly referred to as ‘trich’, is a hair pulling disorder which is classified under ocd, it’s when a person has uncontrollable urges to pull hair from commonly their scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes but can be any hair on their body,
this often results in bald patches of different sizes which can be extremely damaging to a persons self confidence, worsening their mental state.
- how does trich develop?
trich is a disorder normally triggered by anxiety or depression, it’s when a person gets so overwhelmed they find themselves reaching for their hair. the urges are compulsory and extremely difficult to control.
trich is a disorder normally triggered by anxiety or depression, it’s when a person gets so overwhelmed they find themselves reaching for their hair. the urges are compulsory and extremely difficult to control.
the intensity of symptoms can vary from person to person but for some it can become overwhelming and unbearable. episodes of hair pulling can be in parallel to times of stress or completely random.
people who suffer from trich can have different emotions attached to the act of pulling, some feel tension before pulling and a relief after an episode (every person is different)
the act of pulling isn’t always associate with stress though, it’s very common to not notice you’re even pulling at all, for example when you are calm watching tv you can sometimes find yourself mindlessly pulling and playing with your hair.
this is one of the reasons why it’s extremely difficult for people with trich to overcome it. it’s a habit and an addiction. your hair is always with you, it never leaves, which is why it’s so so difficult to stop
statistically speaking, trich is most common with woman or people with long hair, a woman’s hair is something society classes as important to a woman’s beauty which is why hair loss and balding can be such a knock to people’s confidence
continuing with the statics, if someone develops trich at age 10-13 they’re likely to continue it for the rest of their life, i’m not exaggerating when i say this is an addiction and disorder which controls your life
some people target certain areas of their scalp for example, focusing in on one side or patch. people can also fixate on certain textures of the hair, for example the ends or the root, it will be different for different people
- what can you do?
firstly educate yourself with the disorder as it’s a lot more common then you may think, as i said earlier, it does vary from each individual, some may suffer for a few months and others it could last a lifetime, no persons story is the same
firstly educate yourself with the disorder as it’s a lot more common then you may think, as i said earlier, it does vary from each individual, some may suffer for a few months and others it could last a lifetime, no persons story is the same
please please please stop using the phrase ‘ill pull/tear my hair out’ in a passing moment of stress, this makes light of the situation that can control someone’s life and can be very triggering, as well as making them feel very small
if you see someone who is picking or pulling at their hair don’t confront or ask them about it in front of other people, this can be extremely humiliating as it’s not widely understood or known about, message or talk to them in private
if someone’s hair is very uneven or lopsided or something just don’t make a comment, people with trich tend not to go to the hairdressers as it is a very vulnerable situation to be in as your hair is uneven, it can be very humiliating explaining your situation +
the risk of the hairdresser making a comment about it. i have had one haircut in the last 6 (?) years as its is such a distressing situation for me.
for years i felt weird calling trich hair loss as it felt invalid as i was doing it to myself but it is a form of hair loss, i am losing hair, if you suffer from trich pls don’t feel weird about wording it like that, your experiences are very valid
i’ve lived with trich for many years now so i personally don’t get triggered easily so please feel like you can ask me any questions without fearing over correct wording or anything.
if you’re reading this thank you for getting this far and i hope you learnt something, sending big love <3
