Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) Support Group

i have become a member of this group since this was posted...

Welcome to the group. Have you considered asking ur doc if there's a connection between ur childhood illnesses and u having trich? I've heard so many different reasons as to why trich starts. So who really knows! But anyway, I hope you find tons of help and support on here and I hope it helps you! Good luck and hugs

Just a few seconds ago I posted something on the advice section about Strep and the connection with OCD. My daughter has Trich and suffered with really bad bouts of Strep as a baby. She had it so many times and at one point was hoptalized for it. I read a study about this at one point while researching Trich. This is very interesting I think.

Hey I had strep really bad when I was a kid too! I'm also a bit OCD with a couple things as well. Weird.

honestly, i have never had strepp in my life... all the research i have done kinda makes it sound like the cause of trich is rather unknown, with LOTS AND LOTS of theories but nothing conclusive yet... which is really frustrating cuz it leads you to think "why me?!"...ive heard everything to it being a "hair grooming gene gone wild" to hair mites, to hormones, to chemical imbalances, to blood sugar, etc...and maybe it can be a variety of different causes in different people....

i personally think its sort of a learned neurological reaction...how it is learned cant be known...but kind of like fear, why do some people develop fears of random things? usually because in childhood something happened to teach your brain to react with fear to certain stimuli....(anyone ever hear of the Little Albert experiment?? they tought a baby to be afraid of white rats because everytime they showed the creature, the would play a loud frightening noise...even though at first the baby was happy with the rat, it learned to be afraid of it even without the noise, it also eventually learned to be afraid with anything white and furry....such tactics are no longer legal in psych research because its totally unethical, so don't worry, but its a famous experiment you can google it)

somehow i believe in my childhood, just like little baby albert, i learned to associate the pulling out of hair with a pleasing response, and it has stuck...but just like phobias...people do overcome them and i believe one day i will overcome this stupid trich!

regarding asking your doctor about Trich...i wouldn't go to the doctor you normally see. I would seek a specialist in OCD. Mainly, most doctors are not familiar with trich, and it is really disheartening when you are talking to your doctor and they look at you like they have no idea what you are talking about. I already feel weird that i pull out my hair, the last thing i need is for even my DOCTOR to look at me like its weird cuz they never have heard of it.

thanks everyone, I really appreciate all the input. I am thinking that I will talk to my gastroenterologist when I see her in a few weeks. She's much kinder than my PCP in the bedside manner dept, and easier to talk to. She also understands that I can have issues with something called DH, or dermatitis herpateformis (sp?) from having Celiac disease. I used to get horrible rashes all over when I was a kid, family called me "goober" because I was always applying some goobery cream or ointment to my rashes (and definitely picking at the skin...ew gross) I tried to blame my bald spot(s) on DH, but it's not that, that was just my excuse for having a bald spot noticeable by all...
As far as a cause, I believe there are many, and that we all have individual causes - and that stress is the real kicker - as soon as my stress levels start to rise, so does my hand, right to my head!
Peace All*

I just read this post and found the Strep thing very interesting. I was a carrier for strep for a few years. Antibiotics were ineffective for treating it, and I was giving it to my brother over and over again. Even when I didn't feel sick, I was sick. They had to remove my tonsils because I could not get rid of it any other way. That was back when I was in like 5th grade I think?

Very interesting.

Sorry this is happening to you. I have trich, since I was 6. Now I'm 13. Trich is obsessive hair pulling. Try to catch your moods. Like when you realize your pulling, IMMEDIATELY relax your hands, sit on them or put them behind your back. Then analyze how you're feeling. That feeling or thought may be a trigger to picking or pulling. Continuing this should help you notice before you have a pulling or picking episode.

Bree, you're 13? solid advice hon, your right... and I spend a good portion of everyday sitting on my hands... or hollerin' at myself to just cut the crap...
I'm dealing with a whole bunch of stress now, so I wreaked havoc, but I put a hat on today and am being dilligent about not taking it off!

Hazymay, you made my day! ;-) That was a funny post.