Beating Trich Community Group
You mean that there is a name for IT? Im not weird? Trichotillomania, that big, long word that is the bane of our world. With knowledge and support of others we CAN break free and live without this disorder interfering with our lives. Lets keep this uplifting and supportive and give each other the encouragement the other needs to make it to that next day.
Well hi accountabilibuddies! I've set a goal, 3 months pull free! From today til July 24. I don't normally set huge goals like this but I believe this is the best thing for me at the moment. My hair is causing me a lot of negative emotions. I'll just keep a tally if any hairs I do pull (2 today). I need to think of a great reward to motivate me. I do have some other good motivation, as I'm going on a beach holiday in about 3 months. That may have been the main motivation behind creating this goal. Anyway, I'm kinda pumped!
I know what you mean about keeping it to a huge goal to help with the little bits.
Hugs! You're doing wonderful!
Thanks Manda, great advice :)
Erghhh, the thing I feel the worst about is not coming to this site every day! I only need to spend 10 minutes here. 5 minutes even. It really helps me so it's a priority.
So, I haven't had a pull free day yet. My willpower slipped after 4 days, and I stopped wearing bandaids. In the past 6 days I've been pulling a lot (15-25 hairs per day), with one day where I oulled 3 hairs in there )that was following a day I pulled 25 hairs). Barriers are essential for me right now if I want to make progress. Willpower is a muscle and it increases with use.
So, barriers and visiting this site daily. Those are my two action steps. They are quite simple + quick ... But they make such a difference.
Well 10 hairs yesterday, 10 already today. Feeling a lot of negative emotions today and that is of course a major trigger. I have bandaids with me so I'll put them on. Ugh. I just want to be a hermit sometimes and live on top of a mountain alone.
You can do this!
This is, of course, affecting my mental health. I'm experiencing more sadness, more panic, more melancholy, more anxiety etc than "usual".
I'm going to go back to focusing on the numbers (getting as many "good" days - 3s and below) as I can in shorter and shorter periods of time, and spending minimal time looking at my hair.
I need to get a hair cut next weekend and I'm dreading it. For the past.. I don't know how long, each time I've gone to get my hair done I've fekt shame due to my hair, and I've thought "well it will look better next time I go". But it just looks worse. And I can see the pity in their eyes and it just plain sucks.
Because my hair is thin naturally, bald spots happen REALLY fast. So even minimal pulling causes noticeable damage, which of course gets worse as time goes on, even if the pulling hasn't increased.
I'm going to keep trying to do better, mark scores on my calendar, and work on my negative thoughts about my hair. It's possible to change your thoughts. I tell myself that I don't beat myself up necessarily, but I think I do. I think on some (fairly big) level, I blame myself. It's tricky... Because I know that ultimately I DO have control, so it's hard NOT to blame myself. Oh, I think I also need to throw myself into a project with tangible results, so I can feel proud of something.
Ugh, I need a million hugs. Plz.
"In the Moment"...your hair is beautiful as is. You are beautiful as is. It's so hard to switch from the "beating up" mode we automatically turn on. Just keep at it, every single suggestion will remind you of your physical and mental "ability" ...and you've got this!
You can be you!