New to forum

Hi,
My name is Amber i am 20 years old i have had trichotillomania for about 6 years now. I wanted to join a forum so i would have a community of people to talk to about all my issues with hair pulling.

Hi there!

Welcome. It can get pretty quiet in the forums, but there are folks who routinely check for unanswered posts. I've never pulled my hair, but I used to compulsively pick at the slightest clogged pore on my body. My face looked like raw meat. So I can sort of identify with what you're going through, at least in concept.

So, what's been going on lately that's got you extra-stressed?

Well mostly college and thinks like that. I sometimes pick at my skin and my face! So i kinda know what you are going through too. I just started seeing and new therapist so hopefully she will help.. she has me doing pull logs right now.

I'm glad you're seeing someone for it. I hope she helps, too. The good news is that I haven't shredded my face in a long time. I learned to manage my anxiety better, and that helped decrease the compulsive episodes. So there's definitely hope!

Congrats!!! it is so hard sometimes to control your anxiety and urges! the longest i have gone without pulling was 10 months... but then i started doing it again about 4 months ago and now its getting out of control!! eeek.... but atleast i made it 10 months. i hope i can do it again.. but longer!

10 months is great! And I have faith that you can control it even longer than that.

Backslides can be annoying. I'm going through one right now for a different thing, and it's driving me crazy. Numbers everywhere!

I like to think that compulsive behaviors are like climbing a mountain: it's hard, you'll slide down, and you even have to be careful at the top. But that doesn't mean they can't be conquered!

Now, off to the OCD forum...

Wow... that was a really great analogy! i never thought about it like that! The pull log my therapist has me doing is driving me insane!! it isnt so bad but i wish i could just pull without having to write it down and figure out what im feeling. But i have done pretty good with my logging so maybe she will be able to tell me something about it!!

BindyLove wrote:Wow... that was a really great analogy! i never thought about it like that! The pull log my therapist has me doing is driving me insane!! it isnt so bad but i wish i could just pull without having to write it down and figure out what im feeling. But i have done pretty good with my logging so maybe she will be able to tell me something about it!!

Thanks.

I'm glad you're keeping up with the logging. I know that journaling can be a pain. It's likely that the journaling itself might bring up something triggering that might make you want to pull even more while you're writing.

This might be useful, though. Try being mindful while you're writing of what events/thoughts make your body send you its usual signal.

Thanks.. yea its like writing it done makes me want to pull even more... idk its like i need to or something just so i can log.. ha weird isnt it.

I'll try that though... i hope it helps

How've you been doing?