If the therapist isn't helping, you may consider finding a new counselor/therapist that understands addictive behavior and the emotions they soothe. Often times, identifying the underlying anxiety and emotions clears up the need to find an outlet for that stress. Some people have had great success instead with behavioural therapy - like habit reversal training. I read somewhere that 90% of people changed a negative behavior to a positive one. Some things work for some poeple better than others. The good news is, people do find ways to stop pulling and twirling hair. Wishing you the best!

My husband and I are pretty sure that the root cause of our sons stress and anxiety is the school and it's teachers. We never see any of this behavior when he's at home. Our son is ADHD and IQ gifted with behavior problems - this combo is not doing well in a school setting and we are in constant battles with the school to help them to help our son. We are getting close to the point of pulling him out of school and homeschooling him.

I'll talk to our sons therapist this week and see what he recommends about this. If he can't or won't offer any advice, then I guess we start the search for a new therapist.

Thanks so for the advice.

change the school,pull him out of school and homeschool him,free him,get any stresses away from him, do whatever u can but dont let him ruin his life.

Is he fully eating the hair, or just biting the roots? You should know that eating hair is actually really dangerous. I don't want to scare you but it can cause very serious problems: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rapunzel_syndrome

Heart burn and pulling definitely sound anxiety related. Also, if his therapist isn't working, he needs a new one.

Be careful of the way you talk to him. Don't say "Why do you do that?!" or "What happened to your hair?!" Those are things my family says to me and it makes it embarrassing and he'll probably be less likely to talk about it.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy seems to be the biggest success. I've been reading a lot of testimonials and that has been the one most commonly referred to. There are also medicines that can help but do your research first. Learn about any side effects and read testimonials. There's a place on this website that lists treatments.

Although it is very very very hard to stop, perhaps you can curb the habbit. This may be feasible when in the early stages.

Have your son try to pull on ear hairs instead. They are far less common, more fun to pull and no one notices bald ears.

Mind you, hair on ears are normally a curse for aging men...

Jake, are you serious?? Ear hair?? Anyway, I feel for you...it's so hard when it's your child and you don't know how to help them. I started pulling when I was just a child. My parents, unfortunately, just ignored my anxiety and hair pulling, pretty much just like everything else. Sad. I'm glad you are trying to help your son. Hang in there, he will be OK.

Jake, are you serious?? Ear hair?? Anyway, I feel for you...it's so hard when it's your child and you don't know how to help them. I started pulling when I was just a child. My parents, unfortunately, just ignored my anxiety and hair pulling, pretty much just like everything else. Sad. I'm glad you are trying to help your son. Hang in there, he will be OK.

We are currently waiting to see if we can get into a specialist on this. We've had our sons hair cut shorter so he has a harder time pulling it out. I've also order some shampoo which is supposed to help with hair growth - not sure if the shampoo will work on where his hair is now thing but it's worth a shot.

I keep researching and hopefully will find the way to help my son. Thanks for all the input - it helps.

At 13 I was pulling my hair,I just wish that there had been other teens to talk to back then but there are now and probably a few right on this site.Good Luck.

Pulling your son out of school may be extreme. Stress is common to everyone- how we handle it is another matter. Make sure he is getting enough sleep, eating right and exercising. It is going to be hard for you but you need to be a rock for him and help him to feel that he is safe and not condemned for his actions. Get help from other parents of children with trich for yourself (do they have their own group on this site?). Does your son know he is not alone? You said that his doctor and therapist aren't giving you any help, are they giving him any help?

i pull my hair and eat it to. somtimes it isnt stress, or school, or parents or anything. We just pull our hair and eat because we just do. I dont have an explanation for why i pull, i just do it, and if i want to stop i have to have will power and i have to want to stop. Take it easy on ur son he might just grow out of. since hes 13, take him out, get him out of the house, wen there occupyed in other things they wont think of pulling. I hope all is well. Your a good parent.