Exercise and Trichotillomania

Medical conditions of all kinds can cause enormous frustration. When sufferers are faced with a medical issue that is ongoing in their lives, they may feel unable to so anything about it. While treatment methods exist to treat many common medical issues, such medical treatments may not alleviate all of the sufferer's medical symptoms. This is particularly true of a condition called trichotillomania or trich. Trich is a disorder that affects many people of varied backgrounds. The condition is one where people may feel the compulsion to pull on their hair. Trich is what is known as an impulse control disorder. Those with this condition frequently feel the urge to literally remove all of their including the hair on their head and the hair on other parts of their body as well. Sufferers usually feel really tense before they pull the hair. Once they have pulled the hair or a few hairs, the tension they feel is released, allowing them to feel better. 

Stress and Anxiety 

Feelings of stress and anxiety can be overwhelming for someone with trich. Such stress and anxiety may be sporadic or it may be constant but present at a low level. Someone with trich may feel stressed nearly all the time. They can also feel anxious throughout the day when doing ordinary things such as shopping for groceries or even just sitting and reading. Such feelings of stress and anxiety can truly affect the body physiologically in many ways. People may gain weight as they turn to food as a source of comfort. Those with this condition may also find it hard to sleep at night, leading them to feel very groggy the next morning. Lack of sleep can have both short-term and long-term consequences. When people are deprived of sleep due to feelings of anxiety from trich, they may find it hard to concentrate. This can make it hard for sufferers to carry out important activities each day. Lack of sleep and feelings of stress can even make it hard for them to hold down a job. Someone who finds it hard to keep a job due to trich will suffer even more feelings of stress and anxiety. Ultimately, this can create a situation where the sufferer is bound in an endless loop, unable to function because of trich and unable to break from from it. 

Getting Help 

Fortunately for those who suffer from this condition, there are many sources of help. One of the best ways to get rid of the feelings of stress and anxiety that are often part of suffering from trich is by getting enough exercise each day. Exercise has repeatedly been shown to have good short-term and long-term benefits. Exercise helps people relax and feel better. When people exercise several times a week, they can concentrate on a single activity and blot out everything else. This kind of sustained concentration can be very good at helping to relieve both tress and anxiety. In the short term, exercise can help release chemicals that cause a feeling of well being and even euphoria. In the longer term, exercise can help people become fitter and more in shape. This can help people feel good about themselves and feel confident each day when they are out in public. Such a feeling can really help  those who feel the urge to compulsively pull hair. When a sufferer is exercising, they are not thinking about the things that make them feel anxious and worried. 

Cardio Exercises 

For those with trich, finding the right kind of exercise an be crucial. Luckily, there are many kinds of possible exercise choices. Most sufferers will want to pick at least two kinds of exercise in order to get the maximum benefit from it.  Cardio exercises are exercises that work the heart and help strengthen it. Cardio exercise also helps build muscle and reduce fat. Examples of cardio exercises include running fast, rowing and bicycling. Such exercises can be done both indoors and outdoors. These kinds of exercises are done at a fast pace as quickly as possible. Thus, someone who is doing a cardio workout on a bike will cycle as fast as they possibly can. The same is true of someone who is aiming for cardio exercises on a thread mill. This helps the person concentrate really hard on their movements to the exclusion of other things. 

Toning Exercises and Team Exercises

Another form of exercise that can be very useful for those with trich are toning exercises. Toning exercises are typically done with weights. The object is to focus attention on a single body part. These kind of exercises can also be done without weights by simply pulling in a muscle tightly against the body and then letting it go. The results can be almost the same as using weights. People who like toning exercises often do them in between doing other kinds of exercises. One of the most popular are team exercises. Team exercises are exercises where people participate in team sports such as basketball as a team. Joining a team can also have many benefits for those who suffer from trich. Exercise with others can help people who have trich make friends and work with them towards a common goal. Working on a common goal can help people feel less socially isolated and much happier. In turn, this can also help avoid feelings of stress and anxiety. 

Emotional Well Being 

Perhaps most importantly of all, exercise can help those with trich find a sense of inner emotional well being. When people feel good emotionally, they are less likely to turn to destructive behaviors that lead to frustrating feelings and then lead to hair pulling behavior. Exercise can help sufferer get to bed without facing insomnia. When people get enough exercise, this makes it easier to fall asleep at night. Those who sleep better at night can also find it easier to eat a healthier diet. Eating a healthier diet, in turn, can help people feel even better. Any person with trich should consider exercising at least three times a week. Taking the time to find the right combination of exercises for their needs can have all kinds of wonderful benefits. It can be a great way to get outside and meet new people as well. In short it all those with trich should consider getting at least some exercise each week. Whether it's a half an hour of cardio, a twenty minute session of weight or a quick pick-up game each week, or even all three, the results can be truly helpful.