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Christina Pearson’s hand unconsciously kept searching through the hair on her head to find the “right” hair that “needed” to be pulled as she lay on her couch immersed in a book. By the time she finished the novel, an entire pile of blond hair lay at her side.
She was thirteen years old at the time and couldn’t believe or understand why she had compulsively pulled out so much of her own hair; neither could the doctor who examined her.
Through out her twenties, she remained captive to the inner compulsion to pull out her hair or pick at her skin terrified that she would be found out by others and fearful that she would never be in control of her own life again. It wasn’t until she was in her thirties that she learned there was a name for her condition.
Today, Christina runs a successful business, is on medication and uses various therapies to control her illness called trichotillomania, an impulse control disorder that causes people to pull out hair from their scalp, eyelashes, pubic hair and other parts of their body. Christina knew others must suffer like herself so 18 years ago she started the Trichotillomania Learning Center where there is support for the other 2-4% of the population that suffers from the uncontrollable urges of trichotillomania.
Treatment for trichotillomania is typically focused around Cognitive Behavioral Therapy counseling and medication. Medications that have been found to be the most helpful are serotonin re-uptake blocking drugs. There are alternative therapies such as biofeedback and support groups which also assist in treatment. Trichotillomania has been a difficult obsessive disorder to classify but is thought to fall into what is called Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) along with skin picking and chronic nail biting.
A new study treatment by Dr. Jon E. Grant and colleagues from the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis shows promise. The antioxidant called N-acetylcysteine, an over the counter vitamin supplement was given to 25 people in doses of 1,200 milligrams to 2,400 milligrams per day for 12 weeks. The 25 people in the placebo group did not receive the supplement. Those taking the N-acetylcysteine showed significantly greater improvement in the reduction of their hair pulling. The study was published in Archives of General Psychiatry, July 2009.
People with trichotillomania have felt at times suicidal or worse. In an interview with CNN.com, Christina Pearson admitted, “There was a time in my early 20s when I really, seriously considered, could I cut my hands off and live my life? My hands were my enemies, because they pulled my hair.”
The Trichotillomania Learning Center provides support for kids and teens, adults, educators and treatment professionals. Access to support groups, research updates and lists of treatment providers by state can be found there. And to her credit, Christina maintains an ongoing blog chronicling her continued fight against the urges of trichotillomania assuring people that they are not alone in their daily struggle.
For further information go to the Trichotillomania Learning Center at: http://www.trich.org/index.html
Source:
www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/07/13/hair.pulling.trichotillomania/index.html?iref=newssearch
Michele is an R.N. freelance writer with a special interest in woman’s healthcare and quality of care issues. Other articles by Michele can be read at http://www.helium.com/users/487540/show_articles
Add a Comment23 Comments
Wanda,
If you click on J.G.'s name above "tojacig" you can send her a private email with your email address and she won't have to post it here. Or if you create an account with your name, others can also send you emails by clicking on your name ie "Wanda" if you make that your accout name, so others who read this can find you and ask your advice.
November 26, 2009 - 8:08pmThis Comment
Hi J G,
Just post your email address here and I'll contact you. I just got another positive email back from a woman I have been giving advice to. She pulled her eyelashes and she said after taking my advice, she has grow most back on the left eye and the right eye is coming along also. That has made me so happy. I get very excited when I hear that I have helped someone with this horrible disorder. My family came here today to our home and family members that hadn't seen me in a long time was so surprised by my hair, they couldn't stop with the compliments. It felt great.... I feel great, and I know you will too once we get you back on track and beat this disorder. Together we will stop it. And the best part is my advice is free and it's coming from someone that knows firsthand what this disorder can do to our self esteem and to our life. Best Wanda H. I look forward to hearing from you.
November 26, 2009 - 7:16pmThis Comment
Hi J. G.
I believe Wanda should get an email alerting her that a post has been made to this thread so hopefully she will contact you back soon.
In the meantime, The Trichotillomania website from my article
http://www.trich.org/index.html
Does have a find a treatment provider section where you might also find some resource people to help you. I encourage you to seek their services so you will have person who is located close to you to connect with and there may even be a support group that meets closeby.
Good luck,
Michele
November 25, 2009 - 9:42amThis Comment
Hi Michele and thank you for your reply. Hopefully, I'll hear from Wanda. Thank you for the link to TLC. Unfortunately, I've checked (and rechecked) several times and there is nothing near me. By near, I mean even an hour or so away. I live in VA, only 1/2 hr away from parts of MD and WV, and 1 hr from DC. So I've checked all of them as well. The closest group is 3 hours away from me! Thank you for trying tho! : )
November 25, 2009 - 10:24amThis Comment
Have this site send me your email and we can chat. I will be happy to help you.
respectfully Wanda H.
November 22, 2009 - 8:27pmThis Comment
Hi Wanda, I joined but I don't know how to get my email address to you. I see where I can send a message to you but since you're anonymous, as I was before, I don't have a user ID to put in. But since I'm brand new here, maybe you can tell me what to do? Anyway, my user ID here is tojacig so maybe you'd be able to send me a message which they'll forward to me? I don't know if that gives you access to my email or not? Please let me know! (I didn't see a way to contact the site w/instructions b/c I didn't have a way to identify you to them, thanks, sorry for the trouble!)
November 25, 2009 - 7:55amThis Comment
Thank you so much! I'll join and see if I can figure out how to do that! I look forward to it, and thank you again! J.G.
November 25, 2009 - 7:30amThis Comment
Wanda - Please do share how you overcame. My story sounds like yours...except for the last year part! So, please tell us what exactly you did, what you experieced along the way, that enabled you to overcome. You will undoubtedly help many!
November 22, 2009 - 3:41pmThis Comment
Thanks for sharing Wanda. I'm so glad you have found a path out of Trichotillomania. Good luck in your new bright future. Be well.
November 7, 2009 - 6:20amThis Comment
I have suffered with Trichotillomania for thirty years. I pulled from the top of my head, most on the right side and then later I pulled down the middle too. I kept it a secret to most that I knew. I was so ashamed and felt helpless. Hair pulling wasn't something my family talked about much. My mother always felt that I did it for attention, but that was far from the truth. I was the youngest of five kids and the only one afflicted with this terrible and controlling disorder. My brother closest in age to me would twist his hair, but he never pulled, thank goodness. I hated having Trich, but didn't know at the time how to control the sudden urge to pull out my hair. So I grew up with bald patches and that is very belittleing, and worked in a negative way on my self esteem. I could go on and on, tell you about all the bad times, humiliating times, etc. But I will stop here. Let's talk about now. Now I have a full head of hair and one year ago I got my first hair cut in a salon. I am a new person, I have my life back and I feel nothing can stop me now. I am re-born you could say. I thank God for giving me the strength to be brave enough to fight the urges and to win the battle against this horrible MONSTER, called Trichotillomania. Just know if you are suffering with this disorder you can over come it's grip. I did and you can too, so just believe in yourself and begin your healing journey. It's a brighter day without Trich........ Best to you all Wanda
November 6, 2009 - 9:28pmThis Comment