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.
I looked up this tread and copied the posts and edited it to shorten it.
Studies of trichs and random discussions of other trichs have found that:
Sugar products
Nuts
Peanut Butter
Caffeine products
Crystal Lite
Ice Cream
Wonderbread
Alcohol
rasins
and the medication Adderall (for ADD)
Chocolate egg yolks.
ENERGY DRINKS give trichs increased urges to pull. This is just a mini-list. "
Quote from one poster: "cold medicine has ephedrine, so I have to avoid cold meds all together with the exception of Tavist D."
Quote from another: " Our diet HAS to affect it as I am convinced this has the elements of a chemical imbalance. It seems to be worse pre-mentrually, it almost complete disappeared during my first pregnancy and experts say it most commonly has its onset at adolescence. The things we eat have certain chemicals and also affect our hormone levels."
Quote from another: "I was reading through this thread and wondered something. I have a 9 year old daughter who just started pulling this summer.... She is a vegetarian...can the LACK of certain things cause the urges....she will not eat PB, dairy at all, eggs, or any meat. And it has to be water or nothing. Just curious Vegetarians eat a lot of soy products. Soy products are often triggers for pullers"
Just a comment left on the post: fish oil is supposed to make you pull less. You can take it in capsules.
Studies of trichs and random discussions of other trichs have found that:
Sugar products
Nuts
Peanut Butter
Caffeine products
Crystal Lite
Ice Cream
Wonderbread
Alcohol
rasins
and the medication Adderall (for ADD)
Chocolate egg yolks.
ENERGY DRINKS give trichs increased urges to pull. This is just a mini-list. "
Quote from one poster: "cold medicine has ephedrine, so I have to avoid cold meds all together with the exception of Tavist D."
Quote from another: " Our diet HAS to affect it as I am convinced this has the elements of a chemical imbalance. It seems to be worse pre-mentrually, it almost complete disappeared during my first pregnancy and experts say it most commonly has its onset at adolescence. The things we eat have certain chemicals and also affect our hormone levels."
Quote from another: "I was reading through this thread and wondered something. I have a 9 year old daughter who just started pulling this summer.... She is a vegetarian...can the LACK of certain things cause the urges....she will not eat PB, dairy at all, eggs, or any meat. And it has to be water or nothing. Just curious Vegetarians eat a lot of soy products. Soy products are often triggers for pullers"
Just a comment left on the post: fish oil is supposed to make you pull less. You can take it in capsules.
If it's the med ask for something else.
Knowing what's causing your sugar cravings can help you put a cap on them long before they force you into bigger clothes. Which of the three main types of sweets cravings do you have?
You say: Feed me now, or I'll kill you. This usually reflects low blood sugar. Eating sugar helps in the first few minutes, but it makes things worse in the long term.
Break it: Sucking on a Tic Tac or two can be enough to stop the attack. After that, eat more protein and fewer sweets to keep your blood sugar stable. And eat those foods often: Multiple small meals instead of three big ones decrease cravings.
You say: I'd really like a Twinkie. You generally feel OK, but find yourself going through your cabinets looking for a Ho-Ho.
Break it: Holistic docs say (without great evidence, yet there have been some successful treatments) that this could reflect yeast overgrowth in the gut, and that treating it with probiotics (healthy bacteria) can help. We like probiotics made from bacillus coagulans, such as Digestive Aide or Sustenex.
You say: It's my period, and I'm depressed. Low levels of serotonin (the "happiness molecule") around your period can cause you to crave carbs.
Break it: Eating dark chocolate (not a whole store full; try an ounce or so) will supply a natural antidepressant, called PEA, plus the carbs you crave.
And any other time you think you might eat something when you're not really hungry, you should go for a walk or have some water. Much of the "I want to eat" feeling stems from lack of sleep (walking can help wake you up), lack of sex or lack of water.
<3
i have managed to be basically pull free and still keep the foods i eat (and the substances i enjoy), but just by being completely aware of myself and knowing when i need to put on extra barriers and be extra careful.
i think that a lot of the foods on this list tend to be stimulants, and they may just give people more energy, which to us translates into pulling. i am sure that these foods also create greater anxieties in people with general anxiety problems, or more impulse control issues with other disorders, etc.
the foods we eat do not just affect one small part of our lives (like our trich urges) but they also affect how we enjoy foods, the air, our jobs, people, our own bodies, our metabolism, our moods, etc. it is very likely that if any of these foods are affecting our urges, they are likely affecting other parts of our lives too. it is important to be as mindful of what you eat as well as your urges. beating trich requires us learning about ourselves, how we react to situations, people, food, stress, boredom, etc. it is the same with food.
I'm currently drinking coffee and eating a jelly donut. And I'm _not_ pulling. I think pulling is more caused by stress than diet. But if someone finds relief in cutting out sugar and coffee, that's great!
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