Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) Support Group
Impulsive control disorder is the inability to resist an urge, temptation, or impulse, even when it may cause negative effects to the self or to others. If you or a loved one suffers from impulsive contorl disorder, join the community to find support and share your challenges with others who know what you're going through.
Hi, I'm new to this community but not new to this condition. I'm 22 and I've been pulling as long as I can remember, as early as 5 at least. This last year has been the first year I've been able to open up to anyone in my life about it, but I still struggle accepting it sometimes. I'm just here to know that I'm not alone. That other people feel what I feel, do what I do, and can still be productive human beings.
Do you have difficulty accepting it because you worry acceptance will mean an inability to stop it?
I mainly struggle with acceptance because I want to get better but always slip back to the impulsive habits. In a way I do not want to accept it. I want to get better, if its possible. Acceptance almost feels like a form of justification for the bad behavior. There is so much self blame and guilt involved... I think that it is the most difficult aspect of this disorder.
Firstly, I want to applaud you on your ability to open up and begin talking about your challenges. That takes strength and a willingness to take a risk. In this, I can relate. I too have found family photos from the age of five where I am hair-pulling. It took me until I was 19 or 20 years old to start talking about it, and for me, this felt very freeing. We will all continue to have good days and bad, but being able to talk about it can sometimes make all the difference. You are absolutely not alone in this, and we are all here to offer support and encouragement. I want to challenge you to continue to reach out. When I finally starting communicating and doing research, this is when I discovered a whole community of people who struggle with challenges similar to my own, and many had some self-help techniques that I had not tried! It was truly an amazing thing, to not feel like I was the only one dealing with trich. Welcome to the community and God bless you. <3