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.

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Anxiety Disorders
/ Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) Support Group

Talking out loud to myself

spacewrld_
spacewrld_

Hope everyone is doing well, Im not new here but I just wanted to rant soemwhere. No one close to me knows i have trich, I have been struggling with it for a few years and between 2020 till now I was only able to stop for 6 months. It comes and goes but starting soemtime in November of 2021 it started to get bad again. I have been mediating to calm my anxiety and stop overthinking but it only does so much. Maybe its lack of willpower, i have been very stressed latley with other minor problems such as school and relationships. I thought if I just share out loud it may help me get through it. 

Community LeaderMid
Mid
This board is not as active as the main anxiety board.

On the main anxiety board, you'll see tips on how to improve your ability to manage anxiety which will reduce the self soothing techniques with the hair to better ones that do not involve touching hair.

Talking it out is a good thing as it releases the words from your brain.
zinniaz
zinniaz
Glad you posted. It's so good to have a space here to share about things when people who haven't struggled with Trich just don't get it! For what it's worth, I don't think it is an issue of willpower. Willpower is a finite resource anyways, we all run out of it! Think of all the things we have to use willpower for in the day: getting out of bed, getting to work, decisions around what to eat (and how much coffee to drink), cooking dinner, putting down our cell phones- all of that takes willpower! And we run out, especially when stress is heightened.

For me, the hair pulling is a very deeply ingrained habit that's been a part of my life for about 15 years. It's a habit that is deeply tied to psychological and emotional needs- like a need for safety, security and inner calm. Give yourself some grace- you are not weak willed, you are here reaching out for support which shows the strength and insight that you have. I don't think this is just about willpower, I believe it goes much much deeper than that.
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