Treatments for trichotillomania run the gamut with cognitive-behavioral therapies such as habit reversal training and acceptance and commitment therapy ranking high for level of effectiveness. However, a study conducted in Australia presents another form of treatment modality using peer support that shows promise.

Holistic Recovery

During treatment, people with trich learn to manage behaviors, but they also work through the emotional toll of pulling. Many people with trich feel embarrassment, shame, and guilt because the disorder affects appearance, which increases social judgment. Therefore, addressing those feelings as well as anxiety, stress, depression, trauma or other mental health issues that accompany trich is an essential part of therapy. Often, social support in the form of groups or connecting with others further along in recovery gives people a boost. However, one challenge with compulsive hair pulling is its chronic, episodic nature which means a person can feel like recovery is a success and then experience a lapse.

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Trichotillomania is a hard thing. The multiple layers of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors can be difficult to wade through, so sometimes it’s easier to ignore it. Hide it. Hope that nobody else notices. 

However, pretending is exhausting and only reinforces shame. One Trichstop forum member described her experience as shiny and successful on the outside, “But under the surface, I felt I had no sense of self-worth or value, I felt incredibly lonely, and I was just frustrated with myself.” Rachel courageously shared her story in her post, serving as an example of the power of vulnerability that helped her recovery.

Many headlines talk about mental health awareness month with tips, tricks, gimmicks, and celebrations of recovery. These are all wonderful, but I invite you to consider giving yourself the gift of acceptance.

Problems consume

Our brains are hardwired to focus on the negative, which translates into undue attention paid to whatever problem we encounter. This problem could be health, life, or mental health related, the brain is not picky, but the problem tends to become the focus of our thoughts and feelings until it feels like our whole world experience centers on the issue. People who struggle with trichotillomania tend to focus on the problem of hair pulling, and when they are not focused on the problem, they are focused on hiding the problem or fearing that others will notice the problem causing more difficulties of embarrassment and shame for them. The problem then consumes the person’s life, and all one can see is the problem which often leads to the problem becoming central to one’s identity. You feel most that which becomes your point of focus.

No matter which way you look at it trich is a complex disorder. While scientists produce evidence that it is a disorder of compulsion and impulse control, others suggest it is closer to a tic disorder. Since information about the mechanisms that cause trich are important for developing successful treatment strategies, researchers continue to look into genetic, neurological, behavioral, and environmental factors that influence hair pulling behaviors. Thus far, the most effective treatments tend to be psychotherapy with an emphasis on habit reversal and cognitive behavioral therapies. Research lends insight about the role of thoughts and beliefs on hair pulling behaviors which may help therapists and client navigate recovery, and this article will summarize a study conducted in 2015 that identified belief categories.