Happiful – September 2019

Writing | Becky Wright

Have you ever had an urge to do something and not really

understood why? I have. Throughout my adolescence, I

was plagued by trichotillomania

Hair-pulling disorder

In the spotlight:

T

richotillomania, or trich

for short (because who’s

got the time for seven

syllables when you’re an

impulsive hair-puller?), is an old

friend of mine. For me, it meant

years of pulling out hair from my

scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes

but, for others, it can be hair on

any part of the body.

At the age of 13, I had near

enough no eyelashes, no idea why

I couldn’t stop pulling them out,

and an ever decreasing sense of

self-esteem. I hated myself for

what I was doing but, equally, I

couldn’t make myself stop. I came

to rely on makeup as a masking

tool, hiding the physical signs that

something was going on inside

my head.

I can’t actually place a finger on

the first time I had that urge, but,

of all the struggles I’ve faced in

my life, this is one that I’m still yet

to understand.

What is hair-pulling?

From my own research, I know

that trich is often triggered by

anxiety, and is commonly linked

with obsessive compulsive

disorder (OCD). However, while

there are some similarities

between the two, there are a

couple of key differences.

To understand more, I spoke to

chartered counselling psychologist

Louise Watson, who explains:

“The main difference is that OCD

rituals are driven by the need to

rid oneself of an intrusive thought,

whereas the urge to pull a hair out

in trichotillomania is often not

preceded by a thought.

“Pulling hairs can be a response

to anxiety, and instances of pulling

can often increase at times of

stress, but pulling can also just as

often be a response to other mood

states. And, it can happen entirely

unconsciously,” says Louise.

So, rather than being initiated by

an intrusive thought, it is a body-

focused repetitive behaviour that

is done to reduce tension, stress,

or even out of habit.

The reality of the condition, in

a world that prizes hair (in all the

right places), means that trich

sufferers feel even more isolated

and at odds with their feelings.

Particularly as symptoms typically

rear their head during adolescent

years, which can already be a

tricky time for self-esteem and

body image.

How common is trich?

If you do a Google search (and,

believe me, I’ve Googled it a lot

over the years), there isn’t much >>>

September 2019 • happiful.com • 29