Maggies Hair Pulling Blog

I still don't know why I can't stop pulling my hair out. I know it's wrong, I know that it might not grow back and still I pull. It's better than it used to be but I just want to stop!!! Sometimes I look in the mirror and find hairs to pull, knowing full well that I shouldn't. The hair at the front of my head is so thin! I can't imagine it growing back properly now. I still wear a volumiser and probably will for quite a while, at least that makes me look normal!! :( Although the hair situation always haunts me and is always there, I do mainly just get on with it! Next week i'm away in Greece and so hopefully I will be able to relax and focus on leaving well alone!! The sunshine will also be rather nice :)

I had my suspicions that someone I had recently met also had trich and now I know that she does! She has spiky hair on the sides and top of her head which is quite a good sign! I was out with her on Friday evening and mentioned that I pulled my hair and that I wear a volumiser . She then admitted that she did too! I had drunk quite a lot which made it easier to talk but I think I'm glad I did. She said that she just thought she was some kind of freak, she had no idea it had a name or was a medical condition! Hopefully she will now Google the subject and won't feel so odd. Like me she said that she has kept the problem secret for years and was worried what other people might think. It is interesting to now know someone else with this problem, I said that she is welcome to talk to be any time.

Every year there is a pic nic called tric nic. The one I have heard about is held in Regents Park in London. This year it on the 19th June. The lady who organises it ties a purple ribbon around 2 deck chairs so that you can identify the group, you can then just join in! I haven't been to one before but the general idea is to just meet up and mingle. I don't think it attracts a big crowd but it's still nice to know that there are other people out there that you can talk too face to face. I might try and go this year, I wonder what we will all talk about............ :) I have also discovered a good website this week: http://www.trichotillomania.co.uk Lots of registered users and forums to chat in. Although it's hard I must stay focused on trying to stop!

Click below to read an interesting case study on trichotillomania , it is all so similar!!! Case study It calls it an OC Spectrum Disorder, I haven't heard that term before but it can be summarised as: 'People with OC Spectrum Disorders find it impossible to resist urges to behave in a way that they know is ultimately harmful, either to themselves or others.' This is definitely true of my hair pulling, it is impossible to resist long term. Some days are good but overall I haven't stopped yet, and it has been going on for over 20 years!!! :(