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[H25]Hair Pulling Out Disorder

by Julie Savill, Jul

Trichotillomania is a disorder where the sufferer has the urge to pull out their hair . It is a type of compulsive behaviour disorder ,and some people with this may also suffer from skin picking or nail biting. It is a problem which can lead to a lot of embarrassment as some people will get bald patches and they will try to cover this up .

Hair pulling is not always just related to the scalp, some people pull out their eyelashes, or other body hair. Some doctors think this is an ocd disorder (obsessive compulsive disorder), and some think it may be caused by an imbalance of chemicals in the brain called neurotransmitters.

Whatever the cause of hair pulling, it can be really distressing for the sufferer, as it is really difficult to stop. It can seem worse when the person is stressed or worried about something, and some people do not seem to be aware that they are pulling, however for a lot of sufferers it is like a kind of release ,and makes them feel better ,if only for a moment.

If you suffer from Trichotillomania, you might feel like you are the only one ,however this is more common than you think, but most people tend to keep it to themselves as they feel ashamed of what they do.

Medication can help some people, so it is worth a try but not everyone wants to resort to taking tablets.
Your doctor can give you more information about what you can take but often anti depressents are prescribed which can help the imbalance of chemicals in the brain.

You could also see a therapist that uses behaviour techniques that help you recognise the urge to pull before it becomes too strong to resist
With this techniue you can gradually learn to resist the urge so that it gradually gets weaker ,and then goes away.

Some people find that keepin busy helps, especially if there are certain triggers that start the hair pulling , like some sufferers find that they pull while watching tv, so they try to keep their hands busy , maybe doing a crossword or knitting.
Some sufferers find that keeping their nails really short helps as it is harder to grip the hairs with short nails , though this does not work for everyone
Some people resort to wearing gloves or mittens on their hands, especially when relaxing, so it is harder for them to pull, but again this does not work for everyone as sometimes the urge is so strong to pull that they will remove the gloves.

Statistics show that trichotillomania affects about 3 or even more.

Trichotillomania affects twice as many women than men , and it can start at any age Alot of sufferers find that relaxation helps with the pulling . One thing worth a try is hypnotherapy which apparently has quite a high success rate. If you are interested in finding out about this technique then check out this site.

http://www.hypnosisdownloads.com/?2437

Compulsive hair pulling could possibly be an indication of trichotillomania, which is basically a psychologically based response to stress that is emotionally triggered by negative stimulus such as fear, anger, anxiety or stress in general. You´ll need to have a proper diagnosis performed in order to make sure of any particular case of compulsive hair pulling possibly being a result of the presence of trichotillomania, particularly when such behavior is evident in young children. Compulsive hair pulling in children may simply be nothing more than a passing phase, much in the same way that the phase of thumb sucking can be present for a time in many toddlers.

It is of considerable note that although compulsive hair pulling is generally treated with the same powerful "behavioral enhancement" drugs that are given to patients with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), the actual truth is that "trich" is not caused by a cerebral chemical imbalance at all. Far from it, it´s actually an emotionally triggered psychological response to stressful and emotional stimulus, and no amount of medicating the symptoms away will do anything to eliminate this condition from the sufferer´s life. The actual truth of the matter is that this becomes a type of slavery, as any "effects" will only last as long as these harmful drugs are taken continually – once off the medication, the condition still proves to be prevalent.

Therefore, compulsive hair pulling in essence can only be effectively treated with behavioral training techniques that are non-intrusive and have no harmful side effects such as the neuroleptic drugs (antipsychotics), those with serotonergic properties such as given to OCD patients and powerful antidepressants so often do. As a matter of fact, the methods and techniques known as the behavioral substitution type have been reported to have profound effects in completely eradicating compulsive hair pulling with life-long results. Those who employ these techniques can live a happy, normal life without any dependency on powerful and harmful medications.

Trichotillomania medication has been a very controversial topic of discussion, especially considering that this condition is not caused by a biochemical source, nor is it the result of a cerebral chemical imbalance. This has been widely misconstrued in the past, and even to this day the recently revealed facts have met with some resistance from medical professionals who have traditionally relied heavily on prescribing powerful drugs to treat their patients with.

The actual truth is that the hair pulling behavior which is highly characteristic of this particular condition is inaccurately viewed as a problem resulting from a chemical imbalance in the brain, when in truth it is actually an emotionally triggered psychological response to stress. Consequently, no type of trichotillomania medication can ever really cure anyone of this disease outright.

The absurdity of trichotillomania medication is in its non-specific nature to the condition… this condition is most usually treated in the same way as Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), which is an entirely different condition. As patients are medicated with these drugs, often having serotonergic properties, powerful antidepressants and neuroleptics (antipsychotics), using these as a method of trichotillomania medication, they´re only hazing over the symptoms. If you stop taking the medication, the effects of trichotillomania are still present and ongoing.

Rather than the use of trichotillomania medication, sufferers are experiencing inordinate successes with psychologically based behavioral training sessions. This form of treatment, especially those known as "behavioral replacement" or "behavioral substitution", has proven to be the safest non-intrusive form of treatment showing the most firmly established permanent results reported by sufferers to date. Results are experienced immediately within mere minutes, and the effects have proven to be life-long for most of those who have used this form of treatment.

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Both Julie Savill & Lewis Waller are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Julie Savill has sinced written about articles on various topics from Payday Loans, Hair Loss and Home Businesses. Julie Savill is a mother of two and works in healthcare.. Julie Savill's top article generates over 3600 views. to your Favourites.

Lewis Waller has sinced written about articles on various topics from Interest, Internet Marketing and Marketing Tool. For more information on trichotillomania and to find out about a 9 minute cure click here : . Lewis Waller's top article generates over 14800 views. to your Favourites.