Ever heard of people being so stressed out they could pull their hair out? Do people actually do that?Well, the answer is yes, kind of. Its not really your normal person who is stressed that just pulls out their hair. People who do this suffer from a mental disorder called trichotillomania. I am one of these people.
I just noticed that tonight on 20/20, they are airing a show focused on "medical mysteries", including trichotillomania. I'm looking forward to watching this, because there is so little exposure to this disorder.
So if you can, watch it. I'll then do a post sharing my story, and how trichotillomania has affected my life for over 20 years.
2 comments:
I meant to watch this program and missed it. I saw your comment via a google search to see if the program transcript was available. I have had this since age 16 and am now 52. There were a few times that I just about ruined my appearance, but usually it is something that changing the side of my part can usually disguise. I did try medication once, but the side effects weren't worth it. Bottom line: I would rather have a bald spot than be on medication. I have found a few tricks that help at times of stress. I have only known of one other person personally that has this problem - the teen daughter of a neighbor. I have read that sometimes menopause cures it. We can hope. One of my worst time periods was when I was pregnant, so I do think hormones affect it as well. And stress of course. When I was in college studying all night, I would have a very thin spot by morning. Good luck with yours. Marci
Thanks for posting, Marci! I didn't see that you have a blog, so I'm just posting a comment here on mine to you! I'm putting up a 2nd post now to describe my struggle with this. But thanks for commenting and being open! I personally think it helps to talk about it and have people understand!
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