Hello to all those who may stumble (or tumble? :P) across this blog.
Today, February 11, 2009, I am starting an online diary of sorts (isn’t that basically the definition of blog? haha).
I am nineteen years old and I have been suffering from trichotillomania for ten years. I am a teenage trichster.
So why am I blogging about this? I want more people to know about this. I don’t know how many times I’ve avoided talking to and/or meeting people due to the fact that they might notice it…It’s a shameful condition, and I don’t think it should be. If more people knew and understood the disorder, then maybe those of us with the condition would feel more comfortable in our own skin.
Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder in which the person feels compelled to pull out their hair, from all regions of the body including the scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, and pubic region. It’s sometimes associated with depression and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, and is similar to skin picking (dermotillomania).
Why is it so shameful? Because people without disorder have a hard time understanding that it is not just a bad habit. If it was just a habit, why is it so hard to stop?
I’ve been criticized by loved ones countless times because of it, so many times that I’m constantly afraid that someone will notice the bare patches on my eyelids. I’m scared to talk to anyone, even my parents, about this, so I’m choosing to blog anonymously.
Not only will this help others to know about this disorder, but I believe that it will help me to become pull free. Even if no one reads this, writing down my feelings and progresses in this “diary” will help. So, whenever I feel the urge to pull, I’m going to come here and blog. I’ll tell you about my day, or talk about anything and everything, be it music or movies, to keep myself from pulling even a single hair.
I’ve been “pull free” for one month now, which is harder than anyone without the disorder can know, and I want to continue this.
If you’re reading this and would like to know more about Trichotillomania, visit trich.org. If you know someone or if you have it yourself, trichotillomania.co.uk has information and forums for people with the disorder, and trust me, it is a LOAD of help. There you will find all the support and positivity that you need to fight this disorder.
I am starting a journey, and the ride will be a bumpy one, but I am willing to walk it in order to beat this, and I guess I’m taking you along with me.
Thank you for taking the time to read this,
—The Teenage Trichster
