Our lives with Trichotillomania

"Tricho....what"?

Many have never heard of the word. Most never will. But as a Mom watching my daughter struggle with something I hit the internet determined to figure out what was going on in her 5 year old brain. What I found was the 5 year old brain is much more complex than I had ever hoped to need to investigate.

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" (BFRBs) along with skin picking and nail biting.

So there you have it. Still not sure what it is? Check out this website www.trich.org . It is loaded with information and helps me not feel so alone in this.

As a baby Alyssa always showed interest in my hair. Me, being a first time Mom, loved it. She would touch it while she nursed and nuzzle in it when she napped. Cute. As a toddler she would chase our cat and pull out handfuls of his black hair and shove it in her mouth. Gross. As a three year old she would her own hair on her cheek while sucking her fingers, which she's always done since birth. At four she had beautiful long hair and begun to tangle the bottom into knots. I was frustrated and scolded her often. Then cut it to shoulder length. I was not ready to say there was somthing wrong with my baby. As she turned five she began to pull it out. Right on top at the back of her part. At first I just found little hairballs and was thinking she was pulling out her knots. Then one day as I was brushing her hair I noticed a 2x2" area that was sparce. My heart sunk. The lump in my throat was huge. I felt ill. Sick. Sad. She's been five for 3 months. The area has gotten much larger and emptier. We've tried alot. First out of frustration we scolded, even yelled. Yes, I know it was wrong, but it was just two parents who didn't have a clue what to do. Now that we've identified it we are trying other methods. Rather than have her hide it we are openly talking about it. Yes, she says it hurts but she "has to do it." She also has several knots/clusters of hair that she has named (Del-Mar and Rudolph) and is keeping in a small bag. Totally weird I know but my thinking is if I let her keep it rather than demanding that she throw it out she may not pull more out. We will see. I also try to keep a ponytail in, and today she's wearing a cute hat. Both make it difficult to pull. I just purchased a book on trichotillomania and several fiddgets (toys to occupy ones fingers). I've joined several forums and have been doing alot of research.

Alyssa's actions fit this disorder exactly. I have no question this is what it is. Now the only questions in my mind are what the heck do I do? Hypnosis? Therapy? Medication? All are suggested, none proven.

What can I do? What can you do? Keep her busy! When her fingers are busy they are not pulling. We had a pretty good morning painting which she loves. And it's better not to say anything. No scolding, questioning, or anything. It seems that the more attention we put on stopping the worse it is.Today I'm taking it one day at a time. Prayers are appreciated.