Hey you :)

Sounds like you are making good strategies to win. Its so hard isnt it?

Headscarfs help me sometimes. I sometimes wrap my head in them before I go to bed, so I can read, check my emails etc without worrying about "robohand". For in public, I can wear a banadana, it doesn't cover all my hair, but sits on the crown. I can pull, but my hand bumping into it is sometimes enough of a reminder to break the trance.

I think I am going to cut out sugar again. Its never been 100% for me, but I think it does help. Last time I was PF I also lost weight, which surprised me, I thought I'd pile it on. Have got fat and bald recently, not good hmm!

Hugs x

MRS KOLO!!!!!!!!!! T'was a lovely surprise to see your name as the last reply in my thread :) I should really wear a headscarf in bed as well as at my computer & while watching TV. And yes, barriers are often simply a reminder not to pull (like the bandana). Cutting down on sugar helps me too, I think. Hugs :)

K so yesterday was a 6. And most of it was conscious pulling :( It's true what Claudia Miles says, after a few days pull free, the addiction freaks out and goes knot over drive. Not that I was pf, but I was cutting down and wasn't pulling consciously much. And that generally means no "good" hairs (roots).

Well it's a lovely new day, blue sky and beautiful. I'm off to enjoy the day!

Hurrah! Stay strong, enjoy the blue sky and beautiful weather! Keep those hands busy!!!!

To respond to a comment from ages ago, I also notice that we post around the same times of the day! I usually post during a quick break at work, or later at night.

"It's true what Claudia Miles says, after a few days pull free, the addiction freaks out and goes knot over drive". Does this happen to you usually? I thought after a few days pull free the urge decreases. That's the pattern I've always noticed...probably the only consistent pattern I can pick up on with trich for me!

I hope you enjoyed that beautiful day!

Thank you Mid! :)

Manda, I normally post first thing in the morning and/or last thing at night. Though often I'll post during the day if I'm procrastinating or bored. And yeah, re: urges after a few days, I guess it's different all the time. Of course. When I'm in an "easy" phase then it's easier. But when it becomes tough again, then the longer I go, the more my addiction freaks out. After 3 days of no pulling the auto pulling gets WAY easier, but it doesn't stop the urge. And if the urge is strong.. Well.

I did indeed enjoy yesterday! It was my wedding anniversary and we had an awesome day and night. Food and sunshine featured heavily. But, there were a few periods where I was reading. And boy did I binge during those! Argh. Probably a 6 for yesterday. And definitely a 6 for today because I've been steadily pulling ALL DAY. I was procrastinating and reading. I need a new rule; barriers on while reading (wet hair/head scarf/bandaids).

For me, after a few days the urges dropped drastically! I feel the urge drop is physiological and tied to a decrease in the internal trigger chems that are viscious-cycle-linked.

C - congratulations on your anniversary! And reading - tell me about it. I need to wear a bandana or hat when I read - always!

The thing with the addiction freaking out, it can happen after a few days, or a few weeks, or a few months. When that part of your brain (the addiction maybe) is thinking "argh I can never get that feeling again!" and the urge just goes nuts. It's more likely to happen if you kind of force yourself to be pull free when it's not a good time for you. Eg going through a lot of stress or changes.

Claudia does say days, weeks or months. I'm sure we have all gone through that. Because all of us in this conversation have had long pull free periods, and all of us have have had those end at some stage.

Yeah, I didn't mean I've never had the addiction freak out, but I've never personally had the pattern of it happening after a few days PF. That is the point it typically gets easier for me. Once I get started on a solid PF, about 3 months in seems to be a difficult time, but it is hard to keep track.

I'm surprised reading is not one of my triggers. I never pull while reading...computer time and commuting time are worst for me. Thank goodness, cause I read A LOT! Barriers, barriers!!

Oh, I know that you didn't mean that Manda. Well, so does that mean that you never have periods of a few days pf then a few days npf then a few days pf then a few days npf? I can't remember. I don't want to pick at what you're saying but I swear I've seen you say a few times before that you've had a few days pf but then you started pulling again. Feel free to just ignore what I'm saying completely because I understand that I'm being a bit annoying. And wow you are so lucky that you don't pull while reading! I find that amazing. So me it's the same kind of understimulation that TV provides. Plus I kind of trance out because I'm do focused on the story.

So far today:
7 subconscious pulls
1 conscious pull
It's 4.15pm.

Sorry about the typos/grammar errors.

If I am 100% PF for a few days, I don't feel the addiction freak out, as I would put it...more of my own motivation slipping (as opposed to an increase in urges.) Not sure if that is what you meant or not. After a few months, even if my motivation is the same, the urges appear out of nowhere again.

Ah ok! Thanks for your patience with me :) I tend to over-analyse (analyze).

K yesterday:
10 subconscious pulls
5 conscious pulls

I've been thinking of noting my subconscious and conscious pulls seperately. And I was thinking when I'm creating my rating for the day I'd count my sub pulls as half pulls. So for yesterday all up I would have had a score of 10 (10 x 0.5 + 5) and therefore a rating of 4 (missed out on a 3 by 1). Too confusing? Not for me. I really do think that subconscious pulling and conscious pulling are so different. Eg a day where I pull 14 hairs subconsciously and a day where I pull 4 hairs subconsciously and 10 hairs consciously are so different.

Interesting system. I think of conscious and subconscious pulls differently, too, and am much more forgiving of subconscious ones provided they don't lead to conscious pulling. Once I build up my awareness enough, subconscious pulling disappears 99% of the time....doesn't take too long, but getting to that point is so hard!!

Only 5 conscious pulls is not bad at all!

I change my systems all the time so we'll see how it goes. "Once I build up my awareness enough, subconscious pulling disappears 99% of the time....doesn't take too long, but getting to that point is so hard!!" Yep, it's the same for me.