NEWBIE- HOW DO YOU OVERCOME TRICH?

Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on a trich forum...Im 19 and began pulling my hair out when I was 13...over the years it has become more and more severe and my bald patch has gotten bigger.

I am now at a point in my life where I have overcome other difficult things, such as smoking and feel I can, if I try hard enough overcome trich.

My hair has always been my best feature, as it is long wavy and naturally red...to this day I am still confused as to why I ever began pulling my hair out.

I forget how it started but I do feel that it is not always caused by stress. I often pull at my most relaxed, while watching tv, reading or sitting at the computer and always when Im on my own, except around my parents who know about my problem with trich and have both been very supportive.

I am able to conceal my bald patch by tying my hair in a pony tail but I am desperate to get my hair back...we all have a small amount of vanity within us and I would like nothing more than to be able to go into a hair dressers to get a new style, something I have been unable to do for years.

I am reaching out to people who have overcome their battle with trich, as I feel I am at the most difficult stage, where I can see a very small improvement in hair growth but know I will have to wait atleast 6 months until I can see a dramatic change and during that resist the urge to pull completely.

I have read books, listened to hypnotheraoy tapes, meditated, watched trich dvds, etc. and none of these have improved my problem. They did however make me feel less alone, which is why I decided to search this forum for advice.

I beleive no pychologist, doctor or councellor can cure trich, I beleive only willpower from within can cure us.

If you disagree please let me know as I am still open to suggestions.

Thank you.

Hi, 123fox456! Maybe a combination of guidance from a psych and your own willpower can help you too. I do think it's possible to get better from something like this on your own. You're the one who's fighting, even if you have therapy.
Could it be that the trich helps you become more relaxed if you've been stressed recently, even if you're not stressed at the very moment you're pulling? I'm afraid I don't know a lot about this condition, but someone will always be here if you need to talk.

I agree with you. Your will power will be what overcomes trich.

I pulled from the age of 15 to the age of 28. I overcame my trich only when I have reached a place in life where the pain of the consequences of pulling my hair became GREATER than the pain that caused me to do it in the first place. (If that makes sense.) In other words, I had to not only hit rock bottom,... because I lived at rock bottom for over 5 years... but I had to actually go beyond rock bottom. In other words, in my case, I stopped pulling, only because it was re-hard-wired into my brain that my survival as a living organism was at stake because of it. That's literally what has to happen, because when we develop these problems, they become wired into our brains. Only life-and-death situations, and survival-based experiences will allow us to access to rewiring our brains.

I feel relieved that I don't pull anymore. However, since I stopped pulling, I started picking at my skin. And so the problem just skirts around me and finds a new outlet. However, the intensity with CSP is less for me and so I believe that every year, I am improving.

Be stubborn. Never give up. You WILL conquer. I pi$$ on the doctors that told me I'd never be cured of my trichotillomania. You can do whatever you set your mind to.

Something that really helped me was eliminating EVERYTHING superfluous in my life. No car, no rent, no monthly bills, no quarterly taxes, no fees for services, no credit cards payments, no senseless relationships, no compulsive spending.... Basically just paring down everything in life to the basics, finding your triggers, and slowly branching out from there. I also spent a good year or two sleeping. That's right, anytime I'd get into a trich trance, I'd go to bed, and "reboot" so to speak. I'd spend my time just eliminating reality so that when I woke up, I'd be disoriented, and if I was smart I could keep myself off-balance enough not to end up in front of a mirror before I got sleep again.

I spent many years fantasizing over my new hair style when my hair grew back in. My trich was bad. I pulled 98% of my hair out. So I was basically bald. The first time I ever got a hair cut in 10 years was probably the happiest day of my life, and I will always remember that day... it will make cry until the day I die, just thinking of it. The pride that I felt in myself, just walking the streets, with no hat, no scarf, just me being myself purely and openly. Feeling the wind against my scalp, feeling the hairs ride the breeze. I had to get a short boy-cut of course for my first one, even though I'm a girl, but I didn't care, because I felt beautiful again. And I felt so much freedom. Almost more than I do now, even though my hair is past my shoulders now. It was just an amazing time for me... those first moments of being trich-free.

Another reason I was able to overcome my trich, was because I gave up inside for everything. I had pulled out pretty much all my hair, and so my only solution was to shave my head. As long as I kept my head shaved, I couldn't pull my hair. Being a girl, it was very hard, and I was going through college at the time. I graduated with my degree with a shaved head, I can't even believe the inner strength this required. So after being able to keep a shaved head for almost a year, I lost the habit of pulling because it was impossible. Then when I started to let the hair grow out, it was easier to resist.

Well, sorry for being so long... but these are the things that helped me to overcome my trich.

Good luck to you. I wish you the best.

I disagree that willpower will help you get over this. If this were the case then people would never need to access good mental health practitioners, who provide effective therapy treatments to help with whole range of mental health conditions. People that have problems have tried with all their will power to help themselves and for many people with conditions such as yours it doesn't help.

Here is a very short description from the mayo clinic on what treatments help with trichotillomania. I don't know if you've tried any of these, but you seemed to think you don't need a psychologist.

Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff

There's little research about treatment of trichotillomania because it's only been formally recognized as a disorder since the late 1980s. Right now, two main treatments stand out:

* Psychotherapy. Studies have shown that a form of psychotherapy called cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is an effective treatment for trichotillomania. CBT teaches you to become more aware of pulling, and helps you learn to reverse the habit. You also learn what emotions and triggers are involved in hair pulling and how to substitute other behaviors instead. Sometimes elements of other therapies may be blended with CBT. For instance, acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) helps people learn to accept their hair-pulling urges while at the same time teaching them how to avoid acting on their impulses.
* Medications. Doctors sometimes use antidepressants to treat trichotillomania. But these drugs can have troublesome side effects, and some people can't tolerate them. Medications work best when combined with cognitive behavior therapy, not when used as the sole treatment.

Here is an organisation for trichotillomania sufferers. It might give you some good information.

http://www.trich.org/

Forensic2 wrote:I disagree that willpower will help you get over this. If this were the case then people would never need to access good mental health practitioners, who provide effective therapy treatments to help with whole range of mental health conditions. People that have problems have tried with all their will power to help themselves and for many people with conditions such as yours it doesn't help. ...

Your post sounds pretty arrogant... the type of arrogance that someone who's never suffered from trich would espouse because they looked up a wikipedia article about it and suddenly want to post on the subject.

I'm sorry, but WHATEVER other methods you try, willpower will and always will be the first and foremost of your weapons with this issue. I struggled with trich for over 10 years, and I tried everything imagineable. In the end, it was in fact, my own willpower and internal fortitude that overcame this problem. You can take psychotherapy, and pop some medications... but they will do you no good without will power...

You make it sound like trichotillomania is some run-of-the-mill problem... like say, a staph infection, for which there's no need or reason to make a big fuss about. "Just run to your doctor, he'll make all your boo-boos better..."

Again,... if you go to a doctor, they will tell you it is an "incurable" disease. I should know, because I've been told that before. You go to your doctor and you will get "treatment" meaning, they will prescribe you some medication or therapy sessions that deplete your pocket book, but no "cure" is guaranteed.

The treatments that you list are not cures! Please! Unless you have suffered from this personally and would like to add your experiences as to how you personally overcame trich,... please, spare us your condescending attitude!

Again, please don't mis-read my words. If you personally believe that a medical approach with doctors and psychotherapists is what you need to do to help yourself, then that's exactly what you should do... but other people shouldn't snub or turn their nose down at those individuals who do not find their treatments and cures within the established medical community, but prefer to seek the answers from within.

Your post is extremely rude to me and you have misunderstood what I have written. I have posted many helpful responses on these forums and have many personal messages telling me that I have been supportive and helped people.

I disagreed with the willpower argument and did so in a respectful way. You on the other had have used personal insults, added words that I didn't use and used assumptions an innuendo, personally vilify me.

There is nothing arrogant about my post, you've read the words that way. I did not say that it could be cured, but rather I listed the current treatments for the disorder that have brought relief and benefit to may suffers of this disorder. These treatments are not through a doctor but qualified psychologist or psychiatrist who understands the disorder and can treat trich. I did not diminish the condition at all, you've assumed this.

I did not look up wikapedia, but I listed the current treatments that are provided by professionals, treatments that have been researched and have good results.

I then posted a website organisation that supports people with trich which I believe to be helpful to the person who posted originally.

If willpower could work there would never be any need for therapists. The original poster was looking for help and gave them that. I don't have to have personally suffered from this to be able to do that.

Forensic2 wrote:Your post is extremely rude to me...

First of all, from the original post:

123fox456 wrote:I am reaching out to people who have overcome their battle with trich,...

Look, I'm not the one that said no one needs therapists... you on the other hand are seriously downplaying the necessity for will-power. Not everyone will HAVE to see a therapist to overcome trich. However, everyone will HAVE to acquire and maintain personal will power if they wish to become trich-free. That's the difference. I'm not saying therapists aren't useful.

Trich and will power go hand in hand... just ask anyone who actually struggles with this.

As for coming off rude, you just seriously hit a button with me since this is such a personal issue in my life... kind of like walking up to someone with AIDS and saying "Yea, they have treatments for that now, you know... why don't you try some of them..." as if the person hasn't been researching furiously 24/7 how to help themselves.

My intentions were not to be rude. My apologies if so.

Also, the information you provided was a good resource for anyone looking for a medical perspective. Bravo and kudos. I am not being sarcastic. And it is rightly helpful to post these resources for those seeking help. That's not what got my back up...


However I have to say something about this bit:

Forensic2 wrote:These treatments are not through a doctor but qualified psychologist or psychiatrist who understands the disorder and can treat trich. I did not diminish the condition at all, you've assumed this.

JUST BECAUSE a psychologist or psychiatrist is "qualified" or doesn't mean that he or she UNDERSTANDS the disorder. No one gets trained to just up and "understand" a disorder. They are trained to diagnose and then prescribe treatments according to their medical training. That means that you will GO to a doctor, get a trich diagnosis, and then because the doctors DON'T understand the problem, either put you on meds or send you to a psychologist to try and "figure out" how to tinker with the issue. And MAYBE find some kind of combination of therapies that MIGHT work for you in YOUR specific situation. No, they don't understand. They don't understand, any more than you or I might understand what it means to be blind. We could theoretically "help" the blind, "treat" them, and maybe even "cure" them, but we will never understand, until we too are blind.

Though I might be wrong, the wording you use leads me to believe (though you may claim otherwise, and have rightly pointed out that I have in fact previously made erroneous assumptions from your first post) that any opinions OUTSIDE the professional medical field should be dismissed as "unqualified". Well, that practically throws out the whole purpose of a peer-to-peer online forum, then doesn't it?

Or correct me if I'm wrong on that.

I would however like to agree to disagree with you. Your points are valid and worthwhile,... I may have come off rude just because of how I interpreted some of the ways that you worded your points. Or how I read them... or both... or agh! Whatever. Nobody has to be at fault here. Geez.

123fox456 wrote:Hi everyone,

This is my first time posting on a trich forum...Im 19 and began pulling my hair out when I was 13...over the years it has become more and more severe and my bald patch has gotten bigger.

I am now at a point in my life where I have overcome other difficult things, such as smoking and feel I can, if I try hard enough overcome trich.

My hair has always been my best feature, as it is long wavy and naturally red...to this day I am still confused as to why I ever began pulling my hair out.

I forget how it started but I do feel that it is not always caused by stress. I often pull at my most relaxed, while watching tv, reading or sitting at the computer and always when Im on my own, except around my parents who know about my problem with trich and have both been very supportive.

I am able to conceal my bald patch by tying my hair in a pony tail but I am desperate to get my hair back...we all have a small amount of vanity within us and I would like nothing more than to be able to go into a hair dressers to get a new style, something I have been unable to do for years.

I am reaching out to people who have overcome their battle with trich, as I feel I am at the most difficult stage, where I can see a very small improvement in hair growth but know I will have to wait atleast 6 months until I can see a dramatic change and during that resist the urge to pull completely.

I have read books, listened to hypnotheraoy tapes, meditated, watched trich dvds, etc. and none of these have improved my problem. They did however make me feel less alone, which is why I decided to search this forum for advice.

I beleive no pychologist, doctor or councellor can cure trich, I beleive only willpower from within can cure us.

If you disagree please let me know as I am still open to suggestions.

Thank you.

Thanks you for the post.
Hi guys, Im a newbie. Nice to join this forum.

Hey,
I've been searching and searching for someone who has Trich because I thought I was alone and had no one to come to since I also have Trich. It scares me so much because I'm so young(16) and have had this for a few years now. It's been getting worst and worst and I use to have hair that everyone wanted and now that I have visible bald spots, I go through great lengths to hide. There was so many nights I cry because I feel this has taken over me. I just want to stop. I pray and wish all the time that I cold have my long think hair back and it kills me to know that I've gone this long with Trich. I just want someone to tell this to and know that I'm not alone!

Hi Katvander,

you are not alone. It is good that you try to get information as long as your are still young and your hair has still can regenerate from the pulling.

I am 30 years older and I have searched for a cure for years. In the last years I thought it will never change and I have to live with very thin hair and a wig later maybe.

But then I started taking MSM (methyl sulfonyl methane) for better hair growth and suddenly the pulling urge was gone. Yes, the hair grows better but that the pulling urge ended was quite a miracle.

I take a powder mixture of 3 gr MSM and vitamin C daily in the morning (in juice).

Now even if the urge sometimes comes back (when the scalp itches due to too much grease) I just go through my hair with my fingers but I don't pull any more. A little bit of massage is o.k.

Another treatment option you can try for yourself is NAC. There are several reports on that on the net. It is very important to take also a lot of vitamin C as you otherwise might get kidney stones.