When you find yourself stressed out and nerves, do you need up pulling and picking at your hair? Whether or not you know it, this is a common problem, which has actually been labeled as a disorder. Trichotillomania is a disorder that is associated with the suffered pulling out their hair. In some extreme cases, the individual will also swallow their hair. Obviously, this can lead to all sorts of different issues. While a lot of people do not know it, it is actually possible for young children to suffer from this terrible disorder. In order to have a normal childhood, it is important to find treatment quickly and overcome the issue, as soon as possible. In this guide, you will find everything you need to know about suffering from Trichotillomania, as a child.
What Is It?
While there is much debate to the contrary, Trichotillomania is usually referred to as a disorder that is related to obsessive-compulsion. In some cases, the disease is a problem that occurs as an addition or habit. Of course, there are some people that perform that hair pulling, as a type of body focused repetitive behavior. It is sometimes common for experts to lump skin picking and nail biting together with Trichotillomania. While they’re similar, in some cases, they’re also very different. If your case is mild, you might be able to combat your illness with concentration and awareness training.
Do You Have It?
As a teenager, you probably do not want to and probably don’t have the ability to visit the doctor on your own. In all likelihood, you probably want to hide the disorder from everyone. Therefore, you will want to attempt to diagnose your own disorder. In order to do this, you should compare your symptoms to those found in the list below.
- Your hair pulling is beginning to result in large amounts of hair loss and even balding.
- No matter how much you try, you just cannot seem to stop or decrease your hair pulling.
- Your life is beginning to be negatively impacted by your disorder, including your job and school life.
- Pulling your hair and hair loss is beginning to make you depressed and stressed.
- No other medical condition or mental condition can explain your symptoms.
As a kid, it can be difficult to tell your parents about your disorder. However, this might be a requirement, if you’re serious about treating your Trichotillomania. With your parent’s support, you will want to consider finding a support group. You will also want to suggest the idea of getting cognitive behavior therapy, which is often successful for those, who suffer from this disorder. While drugs are always a last resort, they are always an option.
As a Kid or Teen
As a kid or teen, you will need extra courage to seek treatment. Thankfully, there is help out there. For instance, you might want to consider joining an online chat group or forum to discuss your problem. Do not forget about joining a local support group. If you cannot find one in your area, you might one to create one on your own!
Tim White suffered from Trichotillomania as a teenager. After joining a local support group, he was able to successfully defeat this disorder.