Although cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is the most effective treatment for the sustainable management of compulsive hair pulling, other mechanisms such as change in diet or medication have also been found to be effective when used in conjunction with CBT. CBT is not a quick fix and when you are dealing with a tormenting condition, be it physical or psychological, it is natural to desire immediate results. Research in the pharmaceutical industry has made huge progress in many different fields, providing immediate from a variety of conditions that people struggled with for years. However in the field of body focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) there has not been any dramatic advances in terms of the treatment of conditions such as trichotillomania. Possibly part of the reason is that BFRBs in themselves are still poorly understood.

Everybody’s triggers for hair pulling are different. Some people pull their hair habitually without realising it when they are engaged in passive activity, others consciously pull their hair to relieve a sense of tension. Whatever your reasons for pulling, it is important to develop an awareness of these triggers as it enables you to act proactively to prevent or minimise the urges to pull rather than be reactive trying to resist the urge to pull.

The Trichotillomania Learning Centre recently hosted a webinar titled “Getting well is only half the job: Relapse prevention Strategies” with Dr. Fred Penzel. The reason this webinar is important is because body-focussed repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) such as trichotillomania are chronic conditions. This means that, while it is possible to live a pick free life, this does not mean you have been cured. There is no cure for trichotillomania, instead it is a condition that must be actively managed. Just like someone who has diabetes has to manage their condition for their whole lives, so too do people with trichotillomania need to manage their BFRB. In this webinar Dr. Penzel talks about the concept of relapse, challenging the semantics we use to refer to a setback in managing the disorder and that we should not be viewing relapse as a single event, but rather as a process.

Here is the final part of the three part webinar series by TLC (trich.org) on how to start a peer support group. In this webinar the discussion centres around the maintenance of the group once it has been established. Group processes generally go through different phases. As a group facilitator there are many issues you may have to deal with such as some members dominating discussion, or having the discussion steer off into other mental health issues. It is important that the group establishes some boundaries around the type of advice that can be given in the space. As the group leader it is imperative that you take control of the group for the benefit of the group as a whole. You will hear some great tips that you can use to help you with these aspects of running a peer support group: