Just another bad hair life....

During the witch hunts in the Middle Ages, women's heads were shaved to render them powerless and during times or conflict and war in the last century women who were deemed 'traitors' for mixing with the enemy were shaved and paraded through the streets to shame them and mark them out as outcasts.

In recent years a lot of attention has been given to the various self harming disorders often characterised by the compulsive urge to cut or harm self.

Trichotillomania, ( where there is an irresistible urge to pull out ones hair, from the scalp and or eyelashes, eyebrows, beard; an increase of tension in the ind and body as the person tries to resist the urge to pull and then gratification or even pleasure as the hair is pulled out ) which falls into the same spectrum as self harm and obsessive compulsive disorders has received little attention even though early estimates indicate that some 2% of the population may suffer.

Research in the USA, found that this is a very shaming disorder more so as there may be visible hair loss and because alongside the disorder there may also be some form of depression, anxiety or an obsessive compulsive disorder as well.

Many of those who 'pull' start in their teenage years often due to some upheaval such as stress at school or conflict at home although there are incidents of those who start just because they were 'bored'

Most mammals have 'grooming habits'; we all touch, play with and fiddle with our hair.

Some babies touch and even suck strands of their hair as they fall asleep and research suggests that there may be 'over grooming' in those who pull.

Over thime the area pulled from become de-sensitised and there is often no pain upon pulling if anything there is often relief and pleasure as endorphins are released.

The habit over time becomes identified and associated with calming the person down - so in times of stress there will be an automatic need and urge to pull.

In research 'hair pullers' have been found to have low self esteem, experience shame and secrecy as they try to struggle to stop pulling and then hide the damage from others.

Many have stated that they felt their whole lives had been destroyed by this disorder as it meant they did not go for promotion or form close relationships with others for fear of being 'found out'

Recovery:
Recovery is more complex than something like smoking where you can 'stay away' from the cigarettes. Your body is always with you. However for ay recovery, getting to know the triggers are the key. So find out when you are most likely to pull, do you sit in a particular position on the sofa, reach with a particular hand, when alone, a certain mood you are in; bored, upset, angry, agitated, under pressure?

Many pullers also have hand and mouth behaviours with the hair, many will search for hours often for just the 'right' hair to pull and then play with the hair through licking or examining it. So others ways of sensitising the fingers and mouth will be needed to replace the old habits.

Some find playing with a rubber koosh ball very helpful. At a deeper level understand the nature of the stress you face and may have had to deal with in the earlier years is also needed. Alternative ways of dealing with your feelings and the stress you face need to be developed and more than all of this the damage over the years to your self esteem needs to be repaired.

Contact me for assistance on recovery so email me on : leaptraining@aol.com
Go onto the Trichotillomania Learning Center website for more info on research www.trich.org