Controlling Trich's Tricks

For 46 years, I've been affected by trichotillomania.  Started when I was 11 years old.  I surely didn't have a clue what was happening.  I just knew.....I had to pull~!  I was affected primarily with my eyebrows, eyelashes and pubic area.  Bedtime was when I found myself most able to pull.  But?  If given the opportunity, I spent as much time as possible rubbing at my eyebrow.  It never affected nor felt 'needed' on my left eyebrow.  Only the right eyebrow.  I rubbed and rubbed to the point of, to this very day, I have an actual scar where the hairs no longer grow due to the persistent irritation I forced upon them.  There are even more wrinkles (yes, I have a few of those now, too~~) on my left eyebrow forehead than on my right eyebrow forehead.

46 years later, I have learned that, for me, it appears I will have the disorder chronically.  The GREAT THING is that I've learned many coping skills, but 3 very important things: (1) how to control it so others don't even know I have trich and (2) I have participated in my own personal mental health counseling treatment with trained therapists; cognitive behavioral methodologies have served me well and (3) being active (kinesiology) is extremely helpful.

Point is?  Living with trichotillomania seems to be far more difficult when one is younger and in the throes of its onset.  Of course, when one is younger, there are fewer coping skills as yet learned.  Along the course of living, one acquires more 'tools for the toolbox'.  That's true about Life in general~!  Living with or without trich.  It's just part of developmental staging and maturation.

The flip side of the above statement is.......how many folks have aged and NOT developed effective coping mechanisms?  How many folks has it completely devastated their lives?  Who are, perhaps, not even alive any longer due to the depression, anxiety and distress it causes?

What works for YOU?  What do you do when you get depressed?  What do you do when you feel someone is staring at you?  Share. Share. Share.  The more we share, the more we know.  Grasp onto it, embrace the suggestions if it 'feels good'.  Toss it away if it doesn't seem to 'fit'.  That's OK, too.

I know that right now as I write this, there are many hurting.  I also know there are many who are out, feeling good about their lives as they have developed some very sustainable 'Life tools for the tool box'.  Let's band together.  Let's build our blog.  Let's GO~~~!

Post. Post. Post.  Please & Thanks~~~!

J.T. Bean