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.
Hi all,
I've been pulling my eyebrows and eyelashes out since I was 11 or 12, and I'm 21 now...so quite a long time! I've had "good periods" where I've pulled much less and have managed to have full, healthy eyebrows and lashes. However, my pulling has gotten significantly worse in the last 6 months -- be it from the stresses of school and work, family/friend/significant other relationships, etc. I now have large bald patches on my both my eyebrows and eyelashes and it's getting harder to "just stop". I find myself falling into more binge-like states; I used to find one hair that "just felt right", pulled it out, and went about my day. Now, I find one hair...and then another...and then another.
As for treatments, I've tried almost everything: meditation, yoga, exercise (which does help me with stress relief), band-aids on fingers, sitting on hands, snapping a hair band on my wrist when I feel an urge, playing with tangle toys, etc. I have yet to find THE thing that helps. Maybe because THE thing is...me? :)
I'm hoping that by starting to document my experience with trich on this forum, I'll be able to get better with the support of all of you. I'm really new to DailyStrength and I've been amazed at how kind you all are to one another. I feel lucky to have found a group of people who are sharing my struggle!
So I hope that you all can help me and that, in turn, my story can help some of you. Knowing first-hand how hard it is dealing with trich, I can only imagine the highs and lows that you have all been through. I'm ready to fight this disorder and regain my self-control, self-confidence, and sense of peace. Here we go.
P :)
I've been pulling my eyebrows and eyelashes out since I was 11 or 12, and I'm 21 now...so quite a long time! I've had "good periods" where I've pulled much less and have managed to have full, healthy eyebrows and lashes. However, my pulling has gotten significantly worse in the last 6 months -- be it from the stresses of school and work, family/friend/significant other relationships, etc. I now have large bald patches on my both my eyebrows and eyelashes and it's getting harder to "just stop". I find myself falling into more binge-like states; I used to find one hair that "just felt right", pulled it out, and went about my day. Now, I find one hair...and then another...and then another.
As for treatments, I've tried almost everything: meditation, yoga, exercise (which does help me with stress relief), band-aids on fingers, sitting on hands, snapping a hair band on my wrist when I feel an urge, playing with tangle toys, etc. I have yet to find THE thing that helps. Maybe because THE thing is...me? :)
I'm hoping that by starting to document my experience with trich on this forum, I'll be able to get better with the support of all of you. I'm really new to DailyStrength and I've been amazed at how kind you all are to one another. I feel lucky to have found a group of people who are sharing my struggle!
So I hope that you all can help me and that, in turn, my story can help some of you. Knowing first-hand how hard it is dealing with trich, I can only imagine the highs and lows that you have all been through. I'm ready to fight this disorder and regain my self-control, self-confidence, and sense of peace. Here we go.
P :)
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My day...today...misplaced my debit card...didn't realize it until I got to the register after shopping to a full cart. Used a different debit card and pulled apart everything looking for missing debit card before I left parking lot. Got home, dropped keys. So now I have a missing debit card, missing keys. A full cartload to unload and put away. I got everything put away.Dumped purse for a...
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I don't really know how to label this but I having a rough week and I can't say it's one thing.... I have a lot on my plate which is nothing new and I try to cope in many positive ways and do but I still have my moments.My kids more so my daughters talk to me about everything which I know it's cause of comfort and we are close.... however I really struggle with the venting about their dad which...
Best wishes!
One of the things about "anxiety" and eyebrows and eye lashes is that the point of release for anxiety often discovered through changes in patterns is the area between the eyebrows just above the eyebrows and the area between the eyes where the bridge of the nose is.
(Look in the mirror, touch it, massage it, and see if it releases any natural sensations ... it's how I found the release point to help me take the first step)
You can do this!
Hope you're all doing well, and thank you so much for the kind words.
P
dont be hard on yourself whatever you do !!.. once you become aware, try to distract yourself.. keep up the good work and let us know how you are getting on!.
Thanks for the advice! It's really helpful. I pulled today, but I'm really trying hard not to get worked up over it. I've been talking with my therapist lately about the difference between biting nails and pulling hair (I furiously bite my nails). Obviously there are a few differences, the main one being that trich is a compulsion disorder whereas biting nails is seen as a habit that can be stopped with the right amount of effort. And I was telling her how great it would be if pulling out hair didn't have to have the self-deprecating after-effects: I wish I didn't have to feel so bad about myself after I pulled. I wish that, like when I bite my nails, I can say to myself, "Oh well" and move on. Instead, when I pull out a hair I think "i'll never get better" 'It'll never grow back", etc. So I've been working on seeing my trich in that way. By imagining a scenario where it doesn't matter if I pull out my eyelashes! Where no one would look at me strange or think I was crazy...just like biting nails, it would be seen as a stubborn but manageable habit. And that's helping me let go of a lot of the negative self-talk that I do after I pull. Sure, I want to stop pulling. But it's a process, and I have to be patient and love myself. Hair, like nails, grows back. :)
Hope you are all doing well and having a lovely weekend x
Thanks!!
When you're at peace with yourself, it is virtually impossible to do things to yourself, and love yourself, it is virtually impossible to do things to yourself that are destructible.
You leave old habits behind when you start out with the thought, ' I release the need for this in my life.
“Change the way you look at things and the things you look at change.”'
“You are not stuck where you are unless you decide to be.”
“You have everything you need for complete peace and total happiness right now.”
“Heaven on Earth is a choice you must make, not a place you must find.”
“Abundance is not something we acquire. It is something we tune into.”
“Self-worth comes from one thing – thinking that you are worthy.”
“You cannot be lonely if you like the person you’re alone with.”
“Focus on what you have to give.”
“Look for the blessing in all situations.”
“Remain confident that through continued reliance on your imagination, your assumptions are materializing into reality.”
“When you dance, your purpose is not to get to a certain place on the floor. It’s to enjoy each step along the way. “
“I am realistic – I expect miracles.
“With everything that has happened to you, you can either feel sorry for yourself or treat what has happened as a gift. Everything is either an opportunity to grow or an obstacle to keep you from growing. You get to choose.”
“How people treat you is their karma; how you react is yours.”
“Be miserable. Or motivate yourself. Whatever has to be done, it’s always your choice.”
“Conflict cannot survive without your participation.”
“What we think determines what happens to us, so if we want to change our lives, we need to stretch our minds.”
“Doing what you love is the cornerstone of having abundance in your life.”
“Begin to see yourself as a soul with a body rather than a body with a soul.”
“If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.”
“Maxim for life: You get treated in life the way you teach people to treat you.”
“Stop acting as if life is a rehearsal. Live this day as if it were your last…. The future is not guaranteed.”
“I cannot always control what goes on outside. But I can always control what goes on inside.”
“Deficiency motivation doesn’t work. It leads to a life-long pursuit of try to fix me.”
“The only thing blame does is to keep the focus off you when you are looking for external reasons to explain your unhappiness.”
“Everything I need now is here.”
“Within you is the divine capacity to manifest and attract all that you need and desire.”
“Allow yourself the luxury of believing in the divinity of your own soul.”
“The only limits you have, are the limits you believe.”
“Love what you do. Do what you love.”
“Mediocrity thrives on standardization.”
“When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.”
“‘There is no way to happiness, happiness is the way.’
“You can Light Up the Whole World by Giving without any Expectation Back.”
“Loving people live in a loving world. Hostile people live in a hostile world. Same world.
“If you Are What you Do, then When you Don’t… you Aren’t!”
“All blame is a waste of time.”
“See the light in others, and treat them as if that is all you see.”
“It is impossible for you to be angry and laugh at the same time. Anger and laughter are mutually exclusive.”
“I release the need to determine how things ‘should’ be.”
“When you know rather than doubt, you’ll discover the necessary ability to carry out your purpose.”
“Whatever we think about and thank about, we bring about.”
“Our lives are a sum total of the choices we have made.”
“Practice being the kind of person you wish to attract.”
“A mind at peace, a mind centered and not focused on harming others, is stronger than any physical force in the universe.”
“You cannot remedy anything by condemning it. You only add to the destructive energy that’s already permeating the atmosphere of your life.”
“Truly believe in the potential for humans to live in peace and be receptive to all, and you’ll be someone who’s at peace and receptive to life’s possibilities.”
“If you really want approval, stop thinking about yourself, and focus on reaching out and helping others.”
“The qualities of creativity and genius are within you, awaiting your decision to match up with the power of intention.”
“Don’t give mental energy to what others feel about how you should live your life. This can be a tough assignment at first, but you’ll the shift when it happens.”
- Wayne Dyer
"When you're at peace with yourself and love yourself, it is virtually impossible to do things to yourself that are destructive. "- Wayne Dyer.
This one really speaks to me. I obviously need to work on loving myself and being at peace with myself.
Xx
I've been pulling a bunch recently! I have a feeling it's due to being home from school for a couple of days and having much more free time on my hands. I'm in the middle of the vicious cycle where you pull one or two hairs and then the area I've pulled from becomes tender, sensitive, and oh-so-inviting, so I pull more. The more I pull, the more my attention is drawn to that area and the desire to pull becomes even greater. AHHH! I'd so appreciate any words of encouragement, because I'm in a bit of a rut.
I hope everyone is doing well. How was everyone's Thanksgiving? Any little anecdotes would help me get my mind off of my wandering hands... :)
I get ya with regards to wanting to pull more even though we are physically hurting ourselves.. what is that all about ?!.. aaagh, so frustrating, try to keep those hands busy girl..
no thanksgiving for me.. I'm in europe and we dont celebrate that. I hope you had a nice time.. ;-)
You seem so aware of what triggers you, You are doing great overall.. !!
how are you today ?