Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) Support Group
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Hi everyone,
I feel like people have talked about overlapping disorders with trich, such as other forms of OCD or anxiety disorders. Does anyone have intrusive thought related OCD? I don't really want to discuss what my intrusive thoughts are, because they are kind of graphic and unpleasant, but I've noticed that as I have gotten older, my hair pulling got worse and I also now have a pretty bad problem with intrusive thoughts. It prevents me from being able to work or sleep sometimes because the thoughts are so distressing. I sometimes just spend hours crying because I can't get the thoughts out of my head and they are terrible thoughts.
I find that sometimes forcing myself to watch TV helps, but at night I have a really hard time not thinking terrible things before sleep, and then I have terrible nightmares. My boyfriend usually falls asleep before me, but he has started trying to stay up with me and try to read to me until I fall asleep so I'm forced to listen to the story instead of the thoughts in my head. That has actually helped a lot but it's not something I can rely on every day since we are long distance.
Anyway, just came here to vent and was wondering if intrusive thoughts are a common problem with hair pullers.
I feel like people have talked about overlapping disorders with trich, such as other forms of OCD or anxiety disorders. Does anyone have intrusive thought related OCD? I don't really want to discuss what my intrusive thoughts are, because they are kind of graphic and unpleasant, but I've noticed that as I have gotten older, my hair pulling got worse and I also now have a pretty bad problem with intrusive thoughts. It prevents me from being able to work or sleep sometimes because the thoughts are so distressing. I sometimes just spend hours crying because I can't get the thoughts out of my head and they are terrible thoughts.
I find that sometimes forcing myself to watch TV helps, but at night I have a really hard time not thinking terrible things before sleep, and then I have terrible nightmares. My boyfriend usually falls asleep before me, but he has started trying to stay up with me and try to read to me until I fall asleep so I'm forced to listen to the story instead of the thoughts in my head. That has actually helped a lot but it's not something I can rely on every day since we are long distance.
Anyway, just came here to vent and was wondering if intrusive thoughts are a common problem with hair pullers.
i just wanted to let you know how sorry i am for what you are living with on top of trich.....
i have ocd as well,and it is about 90% pure obsessional...about a year ago now,my intrusive thoughts became so horrific,and seemed so constant that i just could no longer cope,so i was hospitalized for a med change.....
i feel so lucky that my current medication,as well as having a really excellent therapist has made my intrusive thoughts fade quite a lot...i still have them.....sometimes i literally shake them off,i sort of talk back to them in my head,but they are much more quiet,and i can cope with them better.....
the added bonus of this medication is that my trich has also improved a whole lot....
i just have to hope that this medication doesn't stop working,as has happened in the past......
anyway,sorry to ramble on about myself.....i empathize with you,i know how terrible and how distressing the images can be,and how having nightmares on top of that can leave you feeling frustrated,scared......
are you seeing a therapist?
remember,the thoughts are not you....they are ocd.....and i assure you there is hope.
With OCD related anxiety these obsessions and compulsions can come and go and range in severity but at one point I was having those horrible thoughts too..then I became paranoid. Prozac took away those thoughts almost completely
for the pulling however that has come and gone..I don't have such instrusive thoughts now but I do have obsessions and am pulling my hairs constantly so I'm seeking help for that now