Category: Trichotillomania

Poetry Friday - Shut In

10/30/2015

A young girl describes her experience with both bulimia and trichotillomania, and the pain and shame she endures from both, in this short but moving poem "Shut-In".

" ... how will she live another day?
that drag on by
when you're alone
a hut of hair
will make her home
straight from her scalp
onto the floor
a hat will hide
a little more
of all her shame ..."

For the full poem, check out: http://allpoetry.com/poem/5434981-Shut-in-by-ashesxx

0 Comments

Trichotillomania - Part 2

6/10/2014

0 Comments

To gain further insight into trichotillomania, check out the short 20 minute documentary "Girls On The Pull" which follows three young women from the UK who are affected by this mental health condition. In the documentary, the women bravely show the cameras how this disorder has physically affected them, in addition to providing an intimate portrayal of what it's like living with and experiencing trichotillomania including how it's affected their families, what it feels like, what they believe may have led to the development of the disorder, and the treatments they have tried in an effort to recover and move forward.

0 Comments

Trichotillomania - Part 1

6/9/2014

0 Comments

Trichotillomania is a lesser known and less common mental health condition that falls under the category of obsessive-compulsive and related disorders in the latest version of the DSM. It is "characterized by the persistent and excessive pulling of one’s own hair, resulting in noticeable hair loss" (Medscape). The scalp, eyebrows and eyelashes are the most commonly involved areas, but the hair-pulling can occur anywhere on the body where hair grows. Though it is thought to only affect 1-2% of the population (DSM-5), and females are affected more than males by a ratio of 10:1, it can be a particularly devastating disorder.

To get a better understanding of what it's like to have trichotillomania, check out the article "From Hair Puller to Hairdresser: Kelsie’s Life With Trichotillomania" by Kelsie Hanna, a truly powerful account of one person's experiences with this condition.

To read more personal stories of those with trichotillomania, see:

"Woman hopes her experience with hair-pulling disorder will help others" (Global News)
"Trichotillomania a True Medical Mystery" by Juju Chang (ABC News)

0 Comments

Poetry Friday - Shut In

Trichotillomania - Part 2

Trichotillomania - Part 1

Description

Archives

Categories