My Trichotillomania Tribe » Stress

Trichotillomania: Stress & Comfort! Reason Why?

Abby — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:23:02 +0000

Have you ever wondered if the comfortable feeling you get when you pull your own hair, one by one, feels the same to other compulsive hair pullers, who also pull their hair out? Would you like to know when I realized that I was a ‘hair puller’? What about trying to understand why your hair pulling serves a need in your life? Come. Listen to Part 1 of this 3-part series.

In this first segment, Abby discusses:

1. What hair pulling feels like and how it becomes addictive.
2. When did I know I was a hair puller and why does it serve a need.

Hair Pulling and Stress: Does Stress Really Cause Hairpulling?

Abby — Thu, 19 Feb 2009 14:00:33 +0000

Throughout our lives strain and pressures are imposed on us. They come in the form of relationship moments that are difficult or make us feel uncomfortable, pressures at school or on the job, family traumas, illness, and more. Hair pullers often report that it is stress that is the reason for their hair pulling, but this is not true. It is the way that you perceive and deal with these stresses and what you tell yourself they mean about you that is the problem.

The key to dealing with things or events that cause you stress is not to unnecessarily shield yourself from them, but to be able to remain calm and centered in the face of them. No one can control life, but hair pulling is a way to attempt to do so. In other words you’ve become trapped in your own trap; jailed in your own cell. Now it’s time to release yourself from the cell and to create a safe haven for yourself in the midst of freedom.

Modern-Day Stress and Compulsive Hair Pulling

Abby — Fri, 13 Feb 2009 04:30:54 +0000

In these times of worldwide economic difficulties, disaster predictions proliferate. We’re told, “the end of the world” is upon us. Doom and gloom are in the air.

Watch out . . . if you are a trich sufferer this is only adding to your stress. And we all know what more stress means for hair pullers; more piles of hair and eyelashes hitting the floor.

Parents, you may not realize that this stress is also greatly affecting your child. Highly sensitive children (which many hair pullers are) feel the stress of the adults around them and they take it on. At this time of world stress, you may find that your hair pulling child is pulling more or that your child has suddenly begun to hair pull.

The very best thing you can do for yourself or your hair pulling child is to make a safe space for feelings to be fully expressed. Parents, you will want to be sure that you are doing a good job of dealing with your own stressful feelings so that your highly-sensitive child doesn’t have to.