My battle with Trichotillomania by Meghann, 20, Michigan
Hello, My name is Meghann. I am a full time college student and work part time at Dollar General, and I am now living in MI with my boyfriend. I have had trichotillomania for close to 20 years.
My Trich Life Story started when I was probably around 7, perhaps even younger than that. I remember I was pulling my hair out when I was in elementary school.
I always just thought it was a bad habit, and my parents never tried to stop me from pulling my hair. I pull from my eyebrows and eyelashes. I always have, and I still do, especially when I am stressed and laying in bed and my hands aren’t busy.
Always thinking this was just a bad habit, I never really thought much of it. I always thought I was the only one who ever did it, and it was just something I did.
Then I got a teen magazine, I believe it was Seventeen. It was an article about Trichotillomania. I looked at my mom and told her, this is what I have. I finally knew the name of it.
I found myself on a support site with so many more people who suffer from this disorder. They even have pull-free-athons. I have never taken medication for it, never have had hair extensions in, I was never allowed. But my aunt and friends would always ask me why I didn’t have hair. They would always forget my story and I was so scared to tell them the truth. They seemed to think it was weird, but understood just fine.
What I did that has helped was I worked on my grandpa’s garden all summer before entering into the ninth grade. To be honest, I completely forgot about pulling out my hair. Then one day I looked in the mirror and realized my hair had grown back. My mom was thrilled, she has been wanting to see me wear mascara for so long. As of now though, I hardly have any eyelashes and my eyebrows and shaped funny from me messing with them.
My advice is to always keep your hands busy. People will like you for you, but this can possibly be genetic. Sleep with socks on your hands, or sit in different places of the room to help notice and stop the pulling. You can do it, just believe in yourself. Count your pull free days, you can get there!
Add comment April 10th, 2009
