Trichotillomania

Tricho-what? Yeah, that's what I thought,too, when I first heard it. Unfortunately, this multi-syllable word and all that it represents is a big part of my life.

"Trichotillomania (trick-o-til-o-MAY-nee-ah) is a disorder that causes people to pull out the hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic area, underarms, beard, chest, legs or other parts of the body, resulting in noticeable bald patches. Hair pulling varies greatly in its severity, location on the body, and response to treatment. For some people, at some times, trichotillomania is mild and can be quelled with a bit of extra awareness and concentration. For others, at times the urge may be so strong that it makes thinking of anything else nearly impossible.

Trichotillomania (also referred to as TTM or "trich") is currently defined as an impulse control disorder but there are still questions about how it should be classified. It may seem to resemble a habit, an addiction, a tic disorder or obsessive-compulsive disorder. Most recently, it is being conceptualized as part of a family of "body-focused repetitive behaviors" (BRFBs) along with skin picking and nail biting."

http://www.trich.org/

As quirky as this disorder sounds, there are actually a lot of people who suffer from it in some degree. In my next post I will talk about how Trichotillomania has affected my life. It is my goal to provide a network of resources and encouragement for those who feel trapped and discouraged by this issue.