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OCD/Ticks/Compulsive Disorders

_jayciemarie_
_jayciemarie_ Posts: 574 Member
edited February 13 in Health and Weight Loss
I really hope that I don't regret posting this, but I'm wondering if anyone on here has any strange or weird compulsive disorders. I ask because I do. I have never ever met someone with what I have, but I'm told there are millions of us out there. Here it goes--I suffer from Trichotillomania. For the people that don't know what that is I will save you some time Trichotillomania is hair loss from repeated urges to pull or twist the hair until it breaks off. Patients are unable to stop this behavior, even as their hair becomes thinner. I have suffered with it since I was 13. Some periods of my life were worse than others. There was a time in high school I had several bald patches. Then there were times I had minimal hairloss. The reason I ask this is because it has kind of flared up again. I think that I have spent the last few years eating instead of playing/pulling my hair. Now that I have started curbing my eating I have noticed that I have been searching and cutting split ends, or pulling coarse hair out, or basically shredding my hair to pieces. I wish I could make it go away. I wish I could take a pill that would stop it. The only way I don't do it is by having fake nails or cutting my nails extremly down--to where it almost hurts. I'm embarrased and ashamed and feel like I have this gigantic secret from everyone. I am just wondering if anyone out there has something that is hidden from everyone and maybe plays a role in them being overweight? Or, maybe I am the only freak :-/

Replies

  • DeputySox
    DeputySox Posts: 78
    You are not a freak. I have OCD.
  • _crafty_
    _crafty_ Posts: 1,682 Member
    I have OCD and an anxiety disorder but anyone that actually knows me has knowledge of it. I don't hide it. It explains away a lot of the crazy which is what I'm really trying to hide.
  • bsprowl
    bsprowl Posts: 14 Member
    You are definitely not a freak. I have dermatillomania which is compulsive skin picking. I 2 have sometimes substituted my OCD tendencies for binge eating. Both of these diseases are intertwined and cause me a great deal of pain and digust within my self. I'm in treatment for both but I struggle daily with these vices, it makes it very hard to lose weight and keep it gone. Mentally, I'm beat down and I pray that I come out on top one of these days.
  • 9bars
    9bars Posts: 40 Member
    I have had the same and have pulled course hair since I was a teenager, it was only after seeing a newspaper article on it a couple of years ago I realised it had a name and others had the same. I broke the worst of it by wearing a hat all the time indoors and now I just do it if stressed, I just think of it as a habit like biting nails.
  • westendcurls
    westendcurls Posts: 252 Member
    ((Hugs)) you are not a freak! my niece also suffers with the same disorder. she has made great progress with medications... though I'm not sure what kind. have you tried any meds?

    I have learning disabilities and some slight OCD tendencies. In fact my dyslexia on display over on a very popular thread this morning. Seems my poor writing skills seems to have confused many and sparked all kinds of interesting debates LOL. I didn't write into the forums for a long time wanting to hide my disabilities but that also meant I couldn't participate and that's no fun.

    I think at some point you just have to try and laugh at yourself and remember we all have things about ourselves we're not thrilled with but its just part of being human.
  • stealthq
    stealthq Posts: 4,298 Member
    Don't be ashamed. I don't have anything similar, but can imagine it's not fun.

    So, if i understand you correctly, it sounds like you can kind of displace the activity into something else: hair -> eating. I'm wondering if stress makes it worse and as long as you have some other outlet (like eating), you can manage better. If that seems reasonable, try to find other stress management techniques - meditating, music, exercise, anything.
  • _jayciemarie_
    _jayciemarie_ Posts: 574 Member
    I am on Zoloft, but I think the doctor is going to add another drug as it is supposedly helpful with Trich. I just wonder what it would be like to be normal. To not ALWAYS have the urge. I wonder what it would be like to be able to lose weight...and not figure out how to balance losing weight and resisting pulling my hair. I am in constant agony. I feel like I'm fighting more than just one battle.
  • psmd
    psmd Posts: 764 Member
    Have you ever seen a psychiatrist? Unfortunately b/c of the shame and embarrasment of this a lot of people never seek treatment. There is treatment available that might help you though. Good luck!
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