I'm gonna check it out. I've been reading the trich website and learning a lot. I pulled for about 20 minutes today and was able to stop. I think it was the exercise and rest I've gotten today

Oh good job :) Exercise and sleep help heaps!

24 hours pull free! It's been a super stressful day, but I haven't pulled my hair out. So to reward myself I went to the outlet mall and bought this cute little double sided comb that teases and volumizes. It might be too soon for rewards but hey, I'm figuring this out as I go.

It's never too soon for rewards! Great job :) :)

I rate my pulling every day from 0-10 (0 bring zero hairs and 10 being the most I'd ever pull in a day). I then write the number on a calendar that I stuck to my wall. If I get a 3 or below then I draw a smiley face on my chart, because that's a good day. I'm loving this system a lot. The point is to gather more good days and less "bad" days. The point is to not let those inevitable bad days derail us. If you'd like I have PDF calendars til next July that I can send you (or anyone else reading this).

Anyway sorry for the rambling, congrats!

STOCKING YOUR MENTAL MEDICINE CHEST:
The secret to breaking free of external and internal criticism is to be CREATIVE and really just do what you want. Most people don't know what they want to do. Most of the time people don't realize how many judgements they have about what they do. They don't give themselves permission to do what they want.
Boredom and the fear of entering uncharted imaginative waters both tend to inhibit creativity. People are bored most of the time-they are so used to it that they accept it. They may not be so bored, if they have the courage to let the unexpected happen.
Creativity depends on an individual's courage in forging ahead in the face of criticism.
People stop when they are ridiculed. People don't seem to have the courage to say "So what?" Those who accept themselves, and have the courage of their own convictions, will find their own level.
A mixture of intuitive feelings and hard work provides the ideal spawning ground for creation. 'Surrender yourself to the muse. You have to let your mind go. You don't start fermenting creativity. You just don't suppress it.
Great book to read:

Erwin DiCyan, Ph.D author of "Creativity: Road to Self-Discovery"

Hugs…I'm so glad you are doing so well…and you deserve rewards and self-care tactics even make this an everyday thing…be proud of who you are and love yourself.

I've had a really awful day. I'm not sure what's wrong with me. But the new hair growth on my favorite pull site is all pulled. I'm so frustrated. I just want to be beautiful, not the crazy mess that I really am. Even with a full head of hair, I would find something ugly about myself.

I keep rereading the group intro about most of us picking and pulling on the road to recovery. The best part about days like this (as bad as they are), is the fact that I'm not alone. In a weird way, this is a gift. All of us would rather not pull, but the fact that we are in this together for the long haul gives me strength that I never thought was possible.

Blissa, when you are in front of the mirror, repeat the saying "I am beautiful because I am me" and practice holding your self tall, positive, and hair open, until you are comfortable with this. I have stood in front of the mirror and cried when I realized that I was not the only one.

You are taking steps, important steps, to heal your entire well-being. You are not alone, and when you are ready to face the hair specialist, go for it. It's hard taking that first visit to the hair specialist, because it is a change that happens right then.

Best wishes!

Sorry that I just saw your latest post blissa. It so sucks when that happens, and I've been there so many times. I really feel for you. Im glad you're feeling a sense of community here and like we're all in this together. Because we are! :) Please try not to beat yourself up. I got that quote; "most of us pick and pull on the road to recovery" from an interview with Christina pearson, founder of the trich learning center trich.org. She has been pull free for over 20 years.

Make sure you look after yourself and do lots of nice things for yourself. Exercise and eating well helps so much too. This disorder feeds off guilt and rumination and retreats under happiness and relaxation. Big hugs.

Mideyebrow: I really love what you said. I'm going to try it. Maybe one of these days I will believe it.

Confident: happiness and relaxation...that's a bit harder. Most of the time I don't notice that I'm stressed or anxious.

New technique: I shaped my nails short enough that I can't grab hold of individual hairs. Hopefully it will help.

Do you mean you're not often stressed or anxious? Or that you actually don't notice it.

Shaping your nails could help! Also, maybe try painting your nails if you're experiencing urges to pull.

I actually don't notice it. I'll try painting them too

Hmm. That's interesting to me because it's SO obvious to me when I'm anxious, stressed, depressed, etc. Are you in a position to see a psychologist who specialises in trich? There's one named Claudia Miles who will do sessions via Skype. I can give you details if you want.

Blissa, it's great to shape your nails. That is a huge help in releasing the sensation (and it is definitely a sensation difference touching the hair with short nails over long nails).

I had to remove "pull" from my vocabulary. I started using "push" every time I touch my hair, my face, my neck, and after a while, it showed improvement. I actually understand what you mean about not noticing your stress, anxiety. It's part of the raised levels of resting anxiety and stress, and once you know where it is at, it is easier to bring it down naturally with relaxation, exercise, meditation, and all the things everyone mentions that have in common, they help you find you.

Best wishes!

I have some exciting news!

So my "nail-shaping" idea is working really well. But I've taken all the advice I've been given and used it to make a multi-faceted approach to my trich. It's not a cure, and I've only been doing it for a few days so I don't know how it will hold up in the long run, but here it is:

1) Shape my nails short so I can't yank out my hair.

2) Eat healthy. I've been focused on eating more fruits and proteins.

3) Switched shampoos. I wash my hair everyday because I've noticed that even when I don't take hair out, I play with it a lot. Touching my hair = oily hair = irritated scalp = no hair

4) Started a really great hair routine and found that keeping my hair straight and using a leave-in conditioner tames those thick, unruly hairs. Also, I use hair products that have natural ingredients.

5) Built a routine that relies on a hierarchy rather than a time-based schedule. Rather than setting time limits, it's about the joy of a routine, not about limitations and deadlines.

6) Vitamin supplements. I take vitamin D and biotin. (For hair growth and mood stability)

7) Stop using the word "pull". Yank, tug, tease are all acceptable words. "Pull" is never allowed.

8) Little rewards. It's the small things that matter. The tiny ways I change the way I think, means I get a little treat. These treats are always well-thought out and useful.

9) Wear hair open. When I'm at home, I'm never allowed to hide the bald spots (unless we have guests). Its a way of showing that I'm not ashamed of who I am.

10) Sleep. I drink a mug of herbal tea when I wake up and before I sleep. It helps me unwind and get more rest.

Anyways, this is the first try at this, so it's not perfect but so far so good.

I love your approach! I'd love to hear updates about how it's going and what's working for you.