you might be wondering what this -mania is, well im gonna tell you. you might be wondering why is this person bringin this up?? well, cause people need to be informed and there are people out there that you know to that have this (i.e. me) most recently i have become more confidant in myself and i have learned how to live with trich. many people all over the world have this diorder. you would be surprised as to who has it... well, recent events in my life have changed me and i have become more comfortable with this disorder. it is a daily struggle for me and the littlest things can set me into a spree...like a best friend telling you that you are making her life a living hell, school, projects, even reading things on the trich site im a part of, having someone confront me, losing friends, worrying about my sister and other, etc. ANYTHING can set me off basically... well, this disorder is defined as such in the trichotillomania learning center website ( www.trich.org if you want to find more out about this than i can give you) :
Trichotillomania (TTM) is an impulse disorder that causes people to pull out the hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or other parts of the body, resulting in noticeable bald patches. It is currently defined as an impulse-control disorder, but there are still questions about how it should be classified. It may seem, at times, to resemble a habit, an addiction, a tic disorder or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is estimated to affect one to two percent of the population, or four to eleven million Americans.
Who Gets Trichotillomania?
TTM seems to strike most frequently in the pre- or early adolescent years. The typical first-time hair puller is 12 years old, although TTM has affected people as young as one and as old as seventy. It is thought that ninety percent of those with TTM are women, but research is inconclusive and it may simply be the case that men are less likely to seek treatment and can more easily hide their symptoms. A form of TTM that affects very young children appears to occur in males and females at an equal rate and seems to be more benign in nature.
How Do I Know If I Have Trichotillomania?
Although the symptoms range greatly in severity, location on the body, and response to treatment, most people with TTM pull enough hair over a long enough period of time that they have bald spots on their heads (or missing eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic, or underarm hair), which they go to great lengths to cover with hairstyles, scarves or clothing, or makeup. The persistence of the compulsion can vary considerably: For some people, at some times, it is mild and can be quelled with a bit of extra awareness and concentration. For others, at times, the urge may be so strong that it makes thinking of anything else nearly impossible.
Why Doesn't Anyone Seem to Know about Trichotillomania?
TTM did not appear in the popular media in the United States until about 1989. As a result, many people with TTM have gone for many years without adequate information about their condition, or appropriate treatment. Consequently, the one symptom that most people with TTM share is shame.
one thing that i have learned from "meeting" people who have trich is that they are more compasionate about things and have big hearts. we try to help one another through the daily struggles. i dont expect pity, i dont expect sympathy becaus that is just not who i am. i expect understaning and acceptance. well, i have to get going now! i hope you will understand the daily struggles one goes through and how people arent always who you think they are.
Trichotillomania (TTM) is an impulse disorder that causes people to pull out the hair from their scalp, eyelashes, eyebrows, or other parts of the body, resulting in noticeable bald patches. It is currently defined as an impulse-control disorder, but there are still questions about how it should be classified. It may seem, at times, to resemble a habit, an addiction, a tic disorder or an obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is estimated to affect one to two percent of the population, or four to eleven million Americans.
Who Gets Trichotillomania?
TTM seems to strike most frequently in the pre- or early adolescent years. The typical first-time hair puller is 12 years old, although TTM has affected people as young as one and as old as seventy. It is thought that ninety percent of those with TTM are women, but research is inconclusive and it may simply be the case that men are less likely to seek treatment and can more easily hide their symptoms. A form of TTM that affects very young children appears to occur in males and females at an equal rate and seems to be more benign in nature.
How Do I Know If I Have Trichotillomania?
Although the symptoms range greatly in severity, location on the body, and response to treatment, most people with TTM pull enough hair over a long enough period of time that they have bald spots on their heads (or missing eyelashes, eyebrows, pubic, or underarm hair), which they go to great lengths to cover with hairstyles, scarves or clothing, or makeup. The persistence of the compulsion can vary considerably: For some people, at some times, it is mild and can be quelled with a bit of extra awareness and concentration. For others, at times, the urge may be so strong that it makes thinking of anything else nearly impossible.
Why Doesn't Anyone Seem to Know about Trichotillomania?
TTM did not appear in the popular media in the United States until about 1989. As a result, many people with TTM have gone for many years without adequate information about their condition, or appropriate treatment. Consequently, the one symptom that most people with TTM share is shame.
one thing that i have learned from "meeting" people who have trich is that they are more compasionate about things and have big hearts. we try to help one another through the daily struggles. i dont expect pity, i dont expect sympathy becaus that is just not who i am. i expect understaning and acceptance. well, i have to get going now! i hope you will understand the daily struggles one goes through and how people arent always who you think they are.
