Untitled by Payton, 15 from New Jersey
Trich is something that I diagnosed myself with. I had recently read a ‘letter to the editor’ in some stupid teen magazine. It said that somebody was very grateful for the magazine’s article about Trichotillomania. They thanked the magazine for bring attention to this disorder. Me, being 12 or 13 years old brushed it off, and continued reading the magazine to look at pictures of sunglasses and articles about dating.
I honestly don’t remember when I made the connection, but some point in time later, I remembered that article that I had read, after realizing the pile of hair next to the couch. I looked through all my old magazines, and eventually found the letter to the editor referring to Trich. After google-ing trich, I realized that I had it. I’ve never been diagnosed by a doctor, but it’s something I just knew.
After learning about Trich, I realized that I also had Dermatillomania, and Onychophagia- Compulsive skin and nail picking. In the past, I’ve had some OCD so severe, that I would throw up in the bathroom if I did something wrong. (But that’s another story).
I’ve gone on and off with the severity of this condition. I can go for months without pulling at all, but at other times, I can’t seem to stop. I’ve never told somebody that actually considers it an actual disorder. I’ve attempted to tell a best friend at the time, who never quite got it, and I’ve mentioned it to my mother, who seems too busy to acknowledge that there’s a problem.
I do understand why some people would dismiss this, especially for me. I was born with incredibly thick hair, and I still do have A LOT of hair, (which I’m very grateful for). I have a few bald and almost bald patches, but you can’t see unless it’s pulled up in a tight ponytail or bun.
I really, truly am grateful for all the information websites that have helped me out so much. They helped me realize that it’s not just me, that there’s other people feeling the same way that I am feeling. I’m sure that 30 years ago, there was not very much information about this condition, therefor, people couldn’t get the help they needed. I hope that someday, there will be a cure for Trichotillomania, as well as similar issues such as Dermatillomania and Onychophagia.
Add comment April 10th, 2009
