Yaaaay, I am finding the same thing. It's much less stressful, I know that as soon as I pull one hair it's not like "boo, the rest of the day is screwed."

Ha ha, ok, I will have to find the next opportune moment to call a female a "minger." ; )

Yaaaay for the 6 smiley faces! Here are another six:

: D : D : D : D : D : D

Exactly! Ha you can call me a minter anytime :)

Thanks for smileys!

Ha I meant minger obviously.

Hmm another day of zero hairs pulled! I've collected 7 smileys. Three of them are wearing sunnies (zero pulling days).

Yeah, I can totally see how this system allows more room for error and avoids that horrible "well, I've already pulled today, so I'm not even trying anymore until tomorrow" feeling. I think I will try it as well :) Hooray for so many smiley faces!!

It allows us to make those inevitable mistakes without feeling like shite about ourselves. And forces the focus to be on the numbers not hair.

Yes do try it!

Yes, focusing on a number (other than an actual number of hairs pulled) makes it a bit more objective for me.

A whole week's worth of smileys, awesome!!

Thanks!

8 smileys now :) In a row, too. I pulled 1 hair earlier this evening, so I gave myself a score of one. I can feel the need building... I thought that following Claudia Miles' advice (and Christina pearson's too) of saying to myself "just don't pull today, but I can pull tomorrow" wouldn't work. Like I wouldn't be able to trick myself into believing that. But the thing is, it's not a trick. It works! And if I really want to pull tomorrow, I can. I'll see how I feel tomorrow. If I meditate, eat well and go for a fast walk, well maybe I won't feel that need so much.

9 smileys! And the one I just drew is wearing sunnies.

What do you guys call it when you accidentally pull a very loose hair? Like you reach up to play with an individual hair (automatically) and it happens to be loose and comes out. I don't class it as a pull but I've decided that if it happens three times I'll call it one pull. Thoughts? I guess when I play with an individual hair I'm always tugging lightly on it. Stranding, I think Phoebe calls it. Is that stranding, Phoebe?

I just re-read the recent comment Phoebe made on my thread about any hair coming out as a result of foraging or stranding counting as a pull, and I think I'll stick with that too. Less room for excuses!

Hm well technically I pulled 2 out today then. Must white out the sunnies on my smiley face haha. I get a score of 1.

I am stricter about the foraging for loose hair in the beginning of a PF streak, but more likely to let it slide a bit after I haven't pulled for a long time. Do whatever works for you!

Yeah I think it's all about what triggers you to then start pulling. I used to chew the tips of my hair (so fuggin' gross, I know), and tell myself "well it's not technically pulling," but it would usually lead me to then start pulling anyway.

I still actually chew my hair somewhat now. : / Hmmm, maybe I should start being more strict with myself....

I think if "foraging" for hairs is a lead-in behavior that can then lead you to pull more hairs, maybe be strict about it in the beginning, then be less strict after time goes by.

Okay, I kinda see what you mean about putting it off until tomorrow... Like, "I really want to pull right now, but if I can just get through the day, I can pull tomorrow". Hmmm. Then break my promise? Itifht be a bit tortuous, but it could work.

Most of my pills over the last 3 days have been accidental. Not so bad, not like binging.

Do what works, and keep reinventing the wheel if you have to. Your spunk is very inspiring.

Thanks everyone! So great to get all these different opinions, which were actually quite similar. It seems it's a case by case thing. My problem is, that damn trich voice. "well I didn't MEAN to and it was very loose, so it doesn't count."

Manda, I've always been like that too. Booyah, it's not gross! You gotta stop viewing your trich habits as disgusting. I say that in the nicest possible way. It's not the forraging that I count as a pull, bit when a hair comes out as a result of foraging then I think I should count that. Phoebe, the thing is, no, you don't actually break your promise! You mean it. If you REALLY want to pull tomorrow you let yourself. I guess the point is, you're trying to avoid this whole "I can never pull again" mindset which tends to freak us out after X amount of time.

Thank you :) I definitely need to use my relaxation techniques today. I couldn't yesterday because I was sick.

I'm with Phoebe on this one, although I do see where you're coming from. I view it more as "I just have to get through this difficult moment and not think of being PF later, or tomorrow. This urge will pass and I can handle it."

Confident, pulling is a natural sensation. Counting the pulls (not punishment, nor denial) can be useful in learning what the sensation brings. You have the right track in working the numbers, the sensations, and the words.

The saying "can never pull again" is one I had to learn to change. I had to connect this saying with doors, in order to break the pattern habit, to help me manage the words as I learned how to make it work for me. I cried when the clipboard contents connected the missing pieces for me. There is nothing wrong with the natural sensation of pulling, just the hazard of the particular location I choose frequently and the results last longer than the sensation. By keeping the "all or nothing" factor from being the only option, I gave myself a chance to accept that sometimes we push as hard as we can, and the door refuses to open, and then we reach out to pull, the door opens, and oops, what happened was not what we expected.

I agree with everyone, it's getting through the moment in whatever way that works in the moment that helps each of us!

Best wishes! You're doing wonderful!