trichy-life

[trichy-life]

Hi there! I'm Caroline and I have trichotillomania and alopecia... needless to say, I'm 22 and going bald, and have had an on-again-off-again relationship with my hair. I'm creating a new blog on Wix about hairloss and I'd love to collab if you'd want to share your story or art or anything! Let me know if you'd be interested and we can connect :)

Hi!! I feel that big time!! I would so be interested and I’d love to check our the wix blog 😊😊

[trichy-life]

did i meme right

[trichy-life]

Just when the one eyebrow I pulled out half of was making progress growing back, I pulled half of the other one 🙃

[trichy-life]

Some positivity for my fellow bloggers with trichotillomania <3

[trichy-life]

Has there ever been any research done on the effect of caregiver’s reactions to the sufferers Trichotillomania? I have heard many stories (and had my own experiences) with years of verbal put downs, humiliation, and punishment for the disorder. There are not a whole lot of disorders where (children especially) are being directly punished for suffering, with parents often threatening children with consequences. I can’t imagine this does much to ameliorate the shame many already feel.

I have experienced, witnessed and heard about negative reactions and know that everyone I’ve talked to (myself included) about these responses from caregivers felt that they exacerbated the BFRB behaviors. I know that for my self growing up, my dad used to punish me and it didn’t make me stop pulling or picking, it made me feel ashamed and led me to pick more. Many of the kids and teens I’ve worked with have said similar things, it feels damaging to them. I don’t think that parents, teachers, and the like realize that it’s not something that you can control without treatment (and even then it can be difficult). There have been many studies done on the negative effects of punishment for ADHD and autism, but few on BFRBs (I found 1 from the late 70s, but it has to be purchased to be fully read). All of the articles say the same thing, though: punishment, humiliation, and negative reactions do not help resolve the behaviors, they worsen them and cause self esteem issues. Linked are some resources for parents, family and loved ones, and for educators to positively handle the BFRBs of the person in their care. I hope that this helped answer your question.-Nick

[trichy-life]

Agreed that it really gets on my nerves when these potentially super helpful fidget toys are portrayed only as “fun toys for everyone” and then when they get brought into schools by neurotypical individuals and then get banned, it ends up hurting the kids who truly need them.

 Also just want to add that I’ve lately seen these just marketed for/posts like these only mentioning ADHD and Autism, while there are other types of disorders that fidget toys help with, like trichotillomania and skin picking, as well as anxiety

“Fidget toys make you less focused :)” that because you’re not adhd/autistic you fucking clod

[trichy-life]

(pt.2) I just found out that sounds very similar to dermatillomania (although I do not have a diagnosis or anything, because I found out literally ten minutes ago). I'm 17, which means I've been doing it for 8 years now. I don't know how to stop or make it better, and I don't have access to seeing a professional (I've tried before because of other issues). Do you have any advice on how to stop? Thank you so much for listening, and either way, I hope you have an amazing day!

Part 1

Hi there for real this time! That does sound like dermatillomania/skin picking/excoriation disorder. I know from experience that it can be really difficult to stop (I often bite the inside of my cheeks until they're raw), and while just stopping can be difficult, there are some suggestions that I can give to try to help! I find that fidget toys help a lot (like tangles, silly putty, and I just ordered one of those cool fidget cube/dice things), and also there are some types of fidgets that are made/safe for biting (I have this one) and you can find a ton of others on different websites! In addition, I’ve noticed lately that as I’ve been wearing lipstick more often, I’ve been biting less-- if makeup isn't your thing, you could always try clear lip balm!

There are also the general strategies, like trying to keep track of when and where you bite, and trying to be aware of/changing those situations. 

I hope this helps somewhat! Once again, I’m sorry for the delay in answering this! If you ever want to talk more, feel free to message me (you can always come off anon!)

[trichy-life]

Hi, I was wondering if you could give me some advice? It's totally cool if you don't feel comfortable doing it, and feel free to ignore this message. But, I've been picking at the skin in my lower lip since I was 9. It makes them constantly look dry, a teeny bit on the edge has discoloured because of it, and it really hurts, but I can't stop. I do it in any occasion, without thinking about it. I only realize after, and no matter how hard I try, I cannot stop. (pt.1)

I am SO sorry I didn’t see and answer this until now! :( I’m going to try to be better about coming on here and checking in going forward! I’ll give a legit answer in part 2 <3 

[trichy-life]

It's that time of year!! The annual Trich/BFRB Conference!! It's in St. Louis, Missouri and this year I'M A PRESENTER!! Shoot me a message if you're coming!! I'd love to meet up, talk, etc!

[trichy-life]

Guys, you have NO IDEA how excited I am for Trichotillomania/Skin Picking Disorder/BFRB Awareness week and it’s 3 weeks away.

[trichy-life]

Maddie is amazing!! If you can go (financially, physically, etc) you totally should!! 

Do you live in or near St. Louis, Missouri?

Good news! On Sunday, August 7th, TLC will be hosting a one-day workshop at Webster Groves Parks & Recreation in St. Louis, from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.

One-day workshops are like a mini-conference, but on a much smaller scale. You will learn about effective treatment approaches, coping skills, behavioral strategies, and more.

Plus, at this workshop, you’ll get to meet Millennial Task Force member and TLC intern, Maddie Lapp! Maddie lives in St. Louis and is excited to teach teens and parents about BFRBs.

Parents, teens, support persons, and professionals are welcome. You must be 13 years old or older to attend.

The cost for TLC members is $75, and $95 for non-members.

Click here to register!

Any questions? Ask us!

[trichy-life]

[trichy-life]

“First and foremost, anyone who thinks they might suffer from TTM or hair pulling disorder should seek help from a qualified healthcare professional who has specialized expertise in treating it. And a good place to start is the Trichotillomania Learning Center website, which can direct you to specialists in your area." 

When you work with a disorder that largely affects women 13 and older, it’s nice to have Teen Vogue on your side.

[trichy-life]

it always makes me feel so awkward when i hear someone say they’re so stressed that they’re almost ready to rip their hair out

[trichy-life]

daily self care checklist ft. emojis 💖

[trichy-life]

Early bird registration for the TLC Annual Conference is up! Sign up before February 29th to register for a discounted price. The conference is being held in Dallas, Texas from April 15th-17th.

Reasons to come to the TLC Conference:

- you get to meet the TLC Millennial Task Force in person - you get to meet lots of other people from all over the world (and of all ages) who suffer from BFRBs in person - you learn tons of new information about BFRBs, including info about medication, tips and tricks, how to handle a BFRB in college, and more! - you get to hear tons of inspiring stories and share your own (if you want) - you get the inside scoop on all of the amazing things TLC is doing - and MORE!

Please don’t hesitate to message us if you have any questions. Hope to see you in April!

[trichy-life]

You know what I never see on Tumblr? Encouraging or supportive posts about people with trichotillomania and/or dermotillomania. I never see those posts because you can’t romanticize it, people don’t see it as beautiful and therefore don’t want to talk about it. It’s really fucking hard having a disorder that is so painfully obvious to anyone who looks and so hard to understand, so shout out to my buds with trich and/or derm, you are still beautiful and worthy of love