hair pulling

Treatment and medication
1

Hi, I'm not on citalopram any more, took it for a while but stopped when I started feeling suicidal - something I hadn't felt before, so thought I'd better quit before I got worse!

Currently having counselling as I've refused any more meds.

I'm generally getting a bit better I think, but my main concern is that when I get frustrated or feel that I'm not being listened to I start to pull my hair out, literally or cut it (believe me, it looks crap at the moment and I'm too embarrassed to go to a hairdressers)

just had what should have just been a bit of a debate with my other half, and have ended up ripping quite a few handfuls of hair out as he just wouldn't listen to me and tried to make out that I was being argumental. I have to say bizzarely it has a very calming effect but I know its not right.

Now I know I can be a pain in the arse and am quite willing to admit when I am wrong but I seriously think that tonight I was not being unreasonable, though I might be wrong.

has anyone else had this sort of experience or am I just being a freak??

2

I have had hair pulling problems for years. I now cut my hair to a grade 2, both head and chest, to stop pulling it out.

3

Dear 'not sure' (!),

The official term for hair-pulling is called Trichotillomania. From personal experience and what I've read on the internet, it seems to be a form of self harm used as a coping mechanism. And it sounds like this applies to you, as you said feeling fustrated when people aren't listening to you triggers it off, and afterwards you feel a sense of calm. Maybe it's something you could discuss with your therapist?

Hope you continue to feel better day by day.

4

Hope you've had progress so far since its been a while since the original post. It is actually good to discuss such things with a therapists, especially with one who has experience in treating trich. There are today many therapy methods that dont involve trich, most common is CBT (source: http://www.trichstop.com/treatment/pro)