I've been doing very well in regards to pulling the past couple of weeks, but I've had two not so good days recently. I felt the urge building and I wasn't taking care of myself as well as I could, physically OR mentally.

I need positive thinking patterns, self acceptance and self love. Along with a healthy diet, exercise and meditation. Phew! One step at a time.

Thanks for the invite to this group! I am living proof that positive thinking and acceptance are key to becoming pull free. My interactions with people here on DS have helped me stop pulling, wish I had found this 40 years ago!! I'm certainly not perfect and pull from time to time. In my past life this would've crushed me, now I just move on.

Trich will not define us!!

I should note that I am NOT 100% pull free, I like to call it "practically pull free". I am so much more in control than I was before I found DS, and I feel awesome!

Thanks for joining! Am so happy you're PPF, I think that PPF is a great thing to be. I'm glad you're still doing well. For sure, just because you're not pull free does NOT mean you're not successful.

I am using monthly calendars on my wall to track my pulling. I've noticed a pattern, we'll it might be a pattern, I've only been tracking my pulling since June 15. Anyway for the past 3 weekends I've been pull free on the weekend. Less stress probably.. Hm. I am loving this visual tracking system! If I didn't have it, I could say, "hm I've been pull free for 3 days". But instead I look at all the smiley faces on my calendar and I see 13 out of 16 days looking happy! (I get a smiley face for low pulling days as well as pull free days).

I urge anyone who hasn't tried this method to try it! And do acknowledge low pulling days as successful.

Sounds like your observations are right on, I like seeing patterns in my day to day also funny its so associated with our moods.
You are on the right track, keep up the experimentations to see what works for you.
Hugs.

Thanks :) That's exactly it, I'm constantly experimenting with new things when something else stops working!

Yes! Patterns, when we notice them can often be our best friend or our worst enemy, hurrah for you! Visuals work for me as well.

Hooray for visuals. I think noticing negative patterns can be great too, because if we are aware of something we can then try to change it!

I counted my results from my June calendar (I started monitoring on the 15th) and I got 14 smiley faces out of a possible 16. (I get a smiley face for a pull free or low pulling day).

Good incentive! I like the smiley face...Do you feel a compulsion to pull or is it purely stress, fatigue, bored etc..? Habitual pulling versus compulsion crawly feeling? My latest obsession of awareness tactics.....

I think I feel both. And even at the same time. I pull or get the desire to pull when unfeeling negative emotions.

*when I'm feeling negative emotions

I think that the habitual form is in our control to stop..don't you agree? I've stopped myself several times now just pulling for the heck of it without any feeling in the scalp area. I think its harder to be in control when we are having mood issues or feel crawly /tingly on our scalp.

Keep up the smiley faces...

I definitely agree!

Thank you :) I have two smileys for July already :)