New here. Introducing myself.

Hello everyone.

Well, let's get right down to it - I'm 27 years old and I've been pulling my eyelashes out since I was in the 1st grade. I sometimes fiddle with my eyebrows, but it's usually just a quick swipe over them with my finger (they're really really thick...)

I've never had any counseling, though I'm starting to realize that might be what I need. I've really only ever had my mom yelling at me for doing it (which we all know doesn't help one little bit...)

um.. I'm one of those people who doesn't adjust well to change or teasing or negative emotions.

I pull when I'm stressed out or when I'm bored (which I think is also a kind of stress) I will actually put things down that I'm carrying to fiddle with my eyelashes more.

I also think it's a major shame that I do this, because my sisters all have gorgeous, dark, black, thick, long eyelashes and I want that for me, too.

One time when I said this to my mom, she just said, "Why? So you can pull them out again?"

...

yay! a sob story!

erm..

So, I was looking for a forum where I could discuss my issue and listen to people who have similar issues.

I promise that as soon as I have health insurance, I'm seeking therapy!

-me.

Hey,

Thanks for posting here but this forum is, unfortunately, not very active. Also, I only have limited experience with Trichotillomania and, when I have replied here before, I actually caused offence to someone. So, please be aware that what I say is not based on too much experience.

I think that you would be better-off questioning why you are stressed-out, rather than why you pull at your eyebrows. I mean, if you are not stressed, then you will probably have no urge to pull, right? So, why are you stressed exactly?

As a temporary measure, however, wearing gloves indoors could make it much harder for you to pull your eyelashes out.

Kevin

I'm mostly stressed because I'm bored. Or because I'm anticipating someone being upset with me (guilt) Or because I'm hungry - I possibly have an eating disorder as well - or because I feel guilty because I indulged my hunger. But it's mostly boredom. It started with being bored in class and being forced to sit there and do nothing. (you know how teachers are) I turned inward when the other kids would ignore me or just plain not make any sense to me.

I've found that the less-happy I am, the more I do it. Honestly, I should quit my job and find a better one that I'm happy with...

I get stressed out over money quite a bit, now, too...

I do get VERY Stressed out over the thought of someone yelling at me. I HATE being yelled at and it will send me into all sorts of nervous things like scratching at my arms and picking my lips or biting my fingers - though none of that is ever enough to scar or tear or anything like that.... thank goodness...

I also have a job where I need to type, so I can't have gloves, or I wouldn't be able to hit the keyboard. And I'd just take the gloves off when something got in my eye and I had to get it out. (this happens a lot)

the one time in my life when I was actually feeling really good about myself and I actually let my eyelashes grow back in? I was working overnight stock at a grocery store. Horrible hours, the people sucked. But I was doing a physical job that let me just DO the job with both hands busy, and I wasn't just sitting around on my ass all day.

If it weren't for the hours and the crappy pay, I'd probably still have that job.

Thank you for replying. I'm sure you'll offend me and I'll get upset, too. lol... But that just happens.... Really I'm seeking a bit of a bandaid until I can afford to get real help from a professional. I know a forum isn't quite the best thing for me, but it's free, wheras I can't actually afford a psychiatrist (this stresses me out, too.)

hmm...

Actually, let's see, a list of things that stress me out:

Meeting new people.
being in a crowd of people I know, but not very well.
visiting my mom.
performing in front of a crowd.
knowing that I did something that might possibly get me yelled at by someone.
Food. (in general)
my hair.
being bored.
being bored of my job and neglecting the things that I'm supposed to do at work, but being unable to bring myself to actually do them.
Wondering if the above action has been noticed by my boss.


Which, in my VERY unprofessional diagnosis means that I'm possibly easily distracted when bored, and have some kind of people-related/social anxiety. All this is manifested in Trich and other OCDs/ICDs.

And although I CAN more or less function relatively normally in society, it's a struggle.

lol, and I hate it when people say, "Well, just go out and meet new friends. it's not that hard!"

/sigh

That long list of stressors aside, the bigg thing that you mentioned is 'boredom'. No-one should be bored in thrir life, so, if you can pull it off, change your job to doing something that you know you will enjoy. Or, would you consider going to college/university again to study something that interests you? Basically, your life doesn't have to be go to school, get a job, live, and then die. There are many other things that you can do but you have to be willing to embrace changes in order to do them.

I think we're getting onto something here... ...behind your Trichotillomania is a whole host of things that have, perhaps, been neglected by you for too long. It is now that you need to start looking at them and thinking about changing them.

Kevin

And then we get into the discussion of being able to do something that I actually enjoy, that I won't get bored of, that will actually PAY money so I can live.

heh... I'm actually picking at my fingernails as I think about how to type this.

I don't even think that there are schools for what I'd like to do.

I would love to run an aquarium shop. I've already got 3 or 4 tanks at home, and I have bred and sold fish successfully out of my own home.

I don't pick when I'm busy with my fish. *shrug* and I can sit there for several hours working on a tank or trying to figure out what's wrong with a sick fish...

...

This must be why most of America is on drugs...

Hehe - yes - we are taking a huge detour around Trichotillomania here, but I feel that Trichotillomania is always caused by something else; and that it is better to tackle that something else, rather than just the Trichotillomania.

Courses for running an aquarium might not be common at all, but that doesn't mean that Biology courses aren't common either. If you started a course in Biology, you could eventually specialise in stuff relating to the seas, oceans, and fish. Don't settle for second best though, especially when you haven't even tried to get the best.

Kevin.

Mangala,

I have PTSD which tends to bring on OCD and Trich. It sounds like some of the same symptoms that you have but mine is focused mainly on my scalp and any irregularities there.

One of the things that I have found somewhat helpful is a barrier between my hands and my scalp. I can't wear gloves either, but when I get extremely stressed, I wear a cap or scarf. Just feeling the material on my head is an alert to what I may be doing unconciously.

With your primary pulling from your eyelashes, maybe there is something that you could do instead of the scarf technique that I use. Sunglasses might do the trick, but that wouldn't look particulary normal in public. You could at least wear the sunglasses at home which might help to get the pulling under control.

I also take meds for my symptoms which help to some degree.

I hope you find some relief from this problem which I know is very frustrating.

Best,