Trichotillomania
What is Trichotillomania?
Trichotillomania is a condition in which the sufferer feels driven to pluck off their own hair, often resulting in bald patches. The disease is frequently compared to an addiction. Patients with the illness may remove hair from their scalp, eyelashes, pubic region, and other areas. Often, tugging one's hair reduces anxiety, yet some individuals are unaware that they are doing it.
Trichotillomania is frequently found in patients who also have anxiety, OCD, or depression. The illness may potentially have a hereditary component.
If you have dealt with trichotillomania, you will be aware of how difficult it can be to deal with and how it can have a major influence on confidence, socializing, and employment. You may have had significant feelings of humiliation and embarrassment as a result of the behavior, despite your inability to stop it. The impact on self-esteem may be devastating, and many patients feel quite alone, despite the fact that the disorder is extremely prevalent.
What Is the Treatment for Trichotillomania?
If you have an underlying condition, such as depression, you may benefit from medication at first. Longer term, you will need to discover a different approach to deal with the emotions that lead to the destructive, hair-pulling behaviors in order to reduce tension. Your psychotherapist can help you cure bad habits by using techniques like cognitive behavioral therapy to teach you how to replace harmful with benign behaviors. Your psychiatrist can help you to discuss medication options that could be helpful.