Does anyone know anything about Tricholtillomania?

Question

I am curious about therapeutic treatment approaches.

Answer 1

http://www.trichotillomania.co.uk/


http://www.lucindaellery.com/solutions/trichotillomania/treatment.html

Answer 2

I believe that is a chronic urge to tear out one's hair. It is occasionally a symptom of autism, where the autistic person needs a repetitive physical motion to calm him/herself down. It is also found in people with obsessive compulsive disorder.

I would personally consider it a method of self-harm, which people do for a wide variety of reasons.

There have been a few small and studies on the effects and possibilities of drug treatment for trichotillomania, (Anafranil, Prozac, Lithium).

Depending on whether it is a symptom of a previous disease (autism) or whether it demonstrates anxiety or depression (OCD/self-harm), you may want to consider therapy, as the doctor may be able to help get to the root of the problem causing the anxiety, which in turn causes the need to tear out your hair.

Answer 3

You are referring to a syndrome where the person eats their own hair, from their head or eyebrows, etc. There are psychotropic medications to help reduce the impulses. For a person with at least average intellegence there is counseling. Most end up bald.

Go to the site of the American Psychiatric Association and read what they say or go to the library and get a DSMIV and read about it there. Also try www.webmd.com

Answer 4

Okay, Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder, an impulse control disorder is characterized by the overwhelming urge to participate in a certain behavior. Even though the individual generally knows it is a bad behavior, they can not help themselves. Impulse control disorders other than trich (or TTM) include ocd, pyromania and cleptomania, among others.
The most commonly accepted theory is that trich is a variant of O.C.D., but not ocd itself. The same meds are often used in both disorders and often both run in the same families. Depression and compulsive skin picking often go hand in hand with trich. Stress tends toaggravate the condition wich creates a vicious cycle as pulling also tends to create stress. (pull becuase you are stressed, want to stop and can't so you get more stressed out, pull more, repeat....)
Many sufferers do bite, swallow or rub the pulled hair against their mouth/lips/toungue. This is called trichophagia. However, not all trich sufferers do this! Most at least inspect the hair or its root.
Most trichsters pull from the same spot(s) and generally are drawn to pulling hairs that feel thicker or coarser than the rest and usually pull at the stuble rather than a full length hair. Spots on the body differ between pullers, some prefer the scalp, eyebrows/lashes, or pubic hair. Others pull from arm or leg hairs, and some even pull from the armpits. Scalp and lashes/brows are the most common areas to be pulled from, but often times brows being pulled can be a sign of bodymorphic disorder wich is in a whole other ball game.
Trich normally presents around puberty, a time when hormones are out of whack, but can be found in younger children as well. Usually the younger children pull due to a massive amount of stress, abused kids often pull at a much younger age....even as young as toddler hood. However, there has been more success in curing children of Trich than there has been with adults, most likely because the behavior is not as ingrained as it would be in an adult.
Meds can be prescribed,and as stated before,are often ocd meds. Many times these do not work fully or tend to make the puller feel "out of it", which can be a problem since many pullers pull while in a sort of "trance" ( in other words, pulling without realizing it during a low level activity such as watching t.v.). Behavior therapy is always reccomended along with meds, often in the form of habit reversal training. The use of "tools" such as stress balls, gloves etc. is common practice as is smacking the pullers hand when they go to pull (aversion therapy), or bringing their attention to it (if they trance pull). This can make it worse for some people though as they may feel embarassed to be reprimanded or caught in the act so it goes back to what i said about stress aggravating the condition. Other people swear by alternative therapies such as meditation, prayer, special diets (there is a belief that starchs and carbs should be eliminated for trich sufferers), herbal remedies, yoga and hypnosis are all sworn by by certain indivduals but are not clinicaly proven. I have read reports where some people have claimed to just will themselves to stop and have never pulled since, there is no research or proof that they have actually managed to do so and i personally belive that to be a bunch of crock. Most people need ongoing therapy even after the symptoms have subsided, group therapy and one on one therapy are often used to keep symptoms at bay.
Trichotillomania is a struggle, you will not get better over night and must work at getting better. It is stressful and exhausting to have this disorder. It can also be highly embarrasing due to the bald patchs. If you have trich and are avoiding going to the hairdresser there are styilists who specialize in trich patients. They can give wigs, extensions or just offer non judgmental service.
It is not fully known what cuases trichotillomania. It is generally accepted as being caused by hormones and chemical imbalances in the brain, much like most other mental disorders, but is also attributed to enviromental triggers as well (stressful situations). Trich can also be the result of learned behavior, a child seeing their parent pull may pick up the habit, this is usually easy to reverse as it is less a disorder than a mimic situation. And yes, trich can be genetic just as most other conditions are also genetic.

Answer 5

Trich is when you pull hairs out of your head, eyebrows or eyelashes, severity of cases vary. My cousin has it and has benefited from both Luvox and Topamax but you have to see a psychologist for medication and good treatment.

Answer 6

See a psychiatrist...there is medication which can help. Also "talk" therapy in conjunction with the meds, is a good thing. Get into therapy as soon as possible!

Answer 7

I deffently DO. I don't know about that I would deffently be intristed to know if it works. I tried some meds for it but wellll that didn't work soooo...

Answer 8

Behavior modification therapy would be the best.

Answer 9

medication and counseling...i wish i had more to tell you :-/