It is so frustrating, but don't give up! It is ok to be angry and frustrated and hurt, but if you give up and pull more it will make you feel worse and you will regret it later. It IS possible to stop, but it takes a lot of effort and commitment, and the truth is you will probably not succeed right away. It takes time to build up the willpower and to find things that work for you to help you stop - things like wearing hats, knowing how to distract yourself, being aware of when you pull. But the good news is, all of the effort is worth it. Even if you are still pulling some, every time you don't pull you are saving a hair. Just keep trying your best and remember that it is normal to be sad and frustrated about trich. Post here whenever you need some support. Also, doing things that you enjoy will make you less stressed and make you want to pull less, so be good to yourself!

I find it hard to know what to advise you. It wasn't until I was 23 that became good at stopping. Do your parents know? The best thing you can do is see a CBT therapist that specialises in habit reversal training or dialectal therapy or acceptance & commitment therapy. In regards to trichotillomania in particular.

Otherwise, get your hands on a copy of "the hair pulling problem" by Fred Penzel. You can read segments of it on google books online.

It does take a while to build up the awareness and mental skills needed to refrain from pulling. And even then it can be very challenging. Try not to beat yourself up when you pull. It's ok. Just gently tell yourself to do something else for a bit.

Hugs.

All great suggestions above- Have you tried exercising? This helps so much with stress, tension, and relief of depression. Its very difficult to be moody when exercising! If you devote 30-60 minutes a day to walking or running I think you'll feel more in control of your moods. Look into taking a class at your local City Community Services like 'Yoga'- Understanding how your body responds to relaxation is a helpful alternative to use in many situations. Once you learn how to relax your body you will respond more favorably to meditation and other forms of relaxation techniques.
Realize that most of your pulling is coming from being under stress and tension, once you find things to combat this you will have more control over the pulling sprees. Hugs.

thanks guys

Aw that's ok. How are you? I wish I could make it go away for you.

i'm doing pretty good. I didn't pull yesterday. and i found out that if i wear a glove it helps!

Wow great job :) Thats awesome! Gloves are very helpful. I have worn light cotton ones while reading before. Beanies and hats can be very helpful too.

Hi guys. I'm brriska's mom. This was a particularly bad day for her. She is not only dealing with this problem but dealing with it right smack in the middle of her first year of junior high. There's a lot of adolescent issues flying around that contribute to the stress she has associated with pulling. Regardless, it's been wonderful for her to make some friends that can give her some real support and advice. I have a family history of trich but have only had to deal with a related issue myself (cuticle biting). We are very open with our communication and support.

Thanks for the suggestion for the book. I hadn't even thought of that and it looks great. Ordered it today. We are also looking into the option of her seeing a CBT.

Thanks again for all of your support for Vallee. :-)

Hi :) Wow it makes me so happy to see you here and thinking about and taking on some of the suggestions. So many of us in this group never had understanding parents (in relation to this issue).

Oh I remember that age. It's tough. I was getting bullied.

It is amazing that you are so supportive of your daughter with an issue like trich! I am 24 and I have never told anyone in my family about it, and I would never even consider it because I know their reactions would not be helpful, even though they would have the best of intentions. It sounds like you are doing a great job keeping communication open and that will help her more than you know. Trich is never easy to deal with, especially during adolescence when it feels like such an isolating problem. But it sounds like she is very smart and mature, and has a great support system in place!

To the mom of this poster -your daughter is very blessed to have you...I did not have this at all growing up (the exact opposite) and she is in good hands. :)

Junior high school was the absolute worst time for my pulling. I was being bullied badly and everything in my life felt bad. Sometimes you are going to feel like u don't want to try anymore and other times you are going to look in the mirror and say "I am strong enough to take trich down. It. Does. Not. Own. Me. "

You guys are so sweet. Thanks for the nice comments. :-) I had a sister with Trich growing up, so I have a pretty good understanding of it (and I have had issues with cuticle biting since I was 8...a problem in the same family). We're all here to watch out for each other and help take care of one another. I'm lucky to have her because she is amazing!