i'm on my longest pull free streak now like ever (4 days), not counting when I was on vacation last year and didn't touch my computer for 2 weeks and hence didnt pull.

I think esp. when you are starting out you have to be really douchey and strict. I'm basically just not touching my head. It is hard sometimes. But I tell myself that this is like the first week back when I was quitting smoking -- if I was trying to quit cigarettes would I pick up a cigarette and play with it, and tell myself playing is ok so long as I dont light it up and smoke it? So why play with my hair?

So yeah, strict is good.

That being said, I am trying to get through day 5.

Hahaha! I didn’t know you could be a douche :p I actually had to google it, cause in Dutch a douche is a shower and according to Wikipedia “A douche is a device used to introduce a stream of water into the body for medical or hygienic reasons, or the stream of water itself. Douche usually refers to vaginal irrigation, the rinsing of the vagina, but it can also refer to the rinsing of any body cavity.” Since I kind of get the feeling this wasn’t the meaning you were going for, I eventually found “douche: a word to describe an individual who has shown themself to be very brainless in one way or another” and apparently it also refers to George W. Bush.
All that being said, I don’t think you’re a douche at all!! I’ve learned a lot from you here (for example all the meanings of the word douche), so that would make me even brainlesser or brainlesslyer or douchier or another impossible word to pronounce.

For scalp hair it counts when I intentionally selected a ‘bad’ hair and then pulled it out, but I’m not really a scalp puller so unless it gets out of hand I don’t really count it. For leg hair, I’m allowed to CAREFULLY FREE ingrown hairs, when it comes out it’s a pull. Unless off course I really tried and I can honestly say it was an accident. Since I mostly pull hairs from my legs with tweezers, it’s a bit hard to deny when I’m pulling.. As for the picking I find it hard to really make a difference between accidently and intentionally, cause sometimes when a wound is healing it gets so itchy that I scratch right next to it, to relieve the itchiness, and then it sometimes happens that the scab comes off. Does this count? I don’t know, I could have tried to relieve pressure otherwise, but I didn’t want the scab to come off and so I can go on… So I mostly decide whether I feel guilty or not.
But I have to admit that sometimes when I know it was a pull or an partly intentional pick, I don’t count it, but then I for example raise the bar the next day. Like absolutely no touching of any hotspot, not even any acceptable behavior that normally wouldn’t count. Cause I know that when I would have counted that pull or pick, I probably wouldn’t have stopped after one. My motto is ‘progress not perfection’. I know I can’t let myself off the hook to many times anyway, cause when I do, it only takes a few days to completely fail.
Maybe when I have enough progress, I’ll be able to go for perfection. But for now, this is what works best for me.


Woops this turned out to be quite long, sorry!!

Yes I have to agree Booyah (would you prefer to be called trish here?). When I first started my really long pf streak I didn't touch my hair AT ALL. But several months in, I could touch and still not pull. Why can't I do that now? Maybe it's like you said, you have to be MEGA tough in the beginning.

LIEN YOU ARE HILARIOUS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ha yeah, the meaning of douche in the slang is rather different to it's actual meaning hahaha. I'm glad I teach you new things, you teach me heaps too!

I was kind of going by that method too, like if I wasn't intending to pull, just playing, then I wouldn't count it as a pull. But that wasn't working for me, so if the hair comes out of my scalp when I'm touching it, it's a pull! Simple as that.

Ahhhh dear. So having come to this conclusion that I'd have to be strict; NO TOUCHING, I decided to let myself have one last hurrah so to speak before I began my serious effort. I let myself pull about 15 hairs. At first it was great, glorious even. But then I just felt dirty and so I stopped. You're probably all very ashamed of me right now, but hey. Anyway I woke up this morning, determined to not touch my hair, and to not pull. But just then I absentmindedly pulled on that came out really easily. I will do my absolute best not to pull any more or touch my hair today.

I'm in it to win it.

Thank you SO much for your support, you have no idea what it means to me. I keep learning and growing in my journey. It's scary how having hair almost removed my motivation to be pull free. But luckily I have goals other than having hair. Like being in control. Like being an inspiration to other people. And yeah, like KEEPING MY HAIR!

Blah blah blah,
x

Bahahahaha, douche = George W. Bush. Hadn't heard that definition before, but I love it. :)

Stay determined not to touch your hair! That's so important. Hooray for hair!

Yeah that's a good one. I've heard it before.

Well only that one yesterday. I didn't let myself touch my hair. Im determined not to today either.

:)

Keep up chick x

I pulled one accidentally today. Was SO mad. Just accidentally pulled another! Man it's so effing hard to build up your awareness. Both times I absolutely was not playing with my hair, just absentmindedly reached up and pulled one out!

Thanks so much mrs kolo xxxxxxx I'll continue my fight, I'll do you proud!

Don't be too hard on yourself, but I also freak out each time it just sneaks up on me.
We’re already proud of you! Keep it up, hands down, you can do this cause you’re already doing it!!

Youre a sweetie lien. Day one again :)

Come on!! Dont eff today up!!

ConfidentIcandoit, you are becoming more and more aware of your pulling and you are stopping after a few hairs, instead of keeping on going. Don't say you f---- up - say you had a slip, you stumbled but did not fall down and just get back on track. And you ARE getting back on track, because you post here often, and you are really working at not pulling.
And NO , we are NOT ashamed of you, and you should not be ashamed either. Please let go of the shame and guilt, and please give yourself a pat on the back for pulling less than usual, AND especially for being pull free today.
One day at a time, you will get there - do not be hard on yourself, believe in yourself, change the negative thinking to positive, and YOU WILL be PULL FREE. You MUST BELIEVE IN YOUR OWN POWER TO BEAT TRICH. You Can Do It !!!

Thanks for the pep talk trickster!!

I know I can do it. I've gone 8 moaths pull free before, and I can do it again. The reason why i get annoyed with myself is because i personally believe I am in control of my pulling. When I pull it's because i let myself. Or at the beginning of a pull free I may pull subconsciously. I know I can do this, so when I slip it IS my fault. Don't worry I'm not hard on myself, I don't wallow in guiltier shame. I feel annoyed then move on.

Today's still going good!! I'm trying very hard, and it's paying off.

*I don't wallow in guilt and shame.

Damn

You

AUTOCORRECT!!!!!!!!!!!!

Boooo. Just accidentally pulled a teensie hair, barely felt it come out. Like yesterday, there was no foreaging involved just reached up and gave it a tiny tug. Bleh. The accidental ones can only be prevented with time and practice.

I am patient and persistent.

Today was day one again. Was doing great. Putting my hand down whenever I caught it up in my hair. But then I accidentally pulled one. Wasn't even playing, just reached up and tugged on it ever so lightly. I barely felt it come out, in fact I questioned if it was even attached. But i think it was. I won't pull any more tonight and tomorrow is day one again.

Errrrrgh

((((((sam))))) you are defeating your trich.....I know it doesn't feel like t but you are facing it down in every corner it hides in x