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TrichMaster , 30 Apr 2014

Urges

I would like to know if the severity of your urge to pull changes for you or is always the same. Does it ebb and flow from mild to moderate to severe - like is it sometimes so severe and miserable that you can't stand it (we all know what that feels like), and you pull because you have no other choice. At other times is it a moderate or a somewhat controllable urge, and at other times is it a minor urge; but you may do it out of sheer addiction to the behavior but no because you were urging? Thanks for help answering this question - I have noticed the difference in me and I wanted to see if we are the same.

9 Answers
TrichMaster
May 06, 2014
I wonder if anyone at all has different degrees of urges to pull their hair out and if some of the urges are more controllable than others.
trickie
May 20, 2014
sure there are different levels in urges for me
sometimes its simply overwhelming and i give in
sometimes its mild, then it depends on my mood and overall state. if i'm tired, and low energy, i might give in.
catherine
May 22, 2014
As for me, the levels of urge somewhat vary, but not much. But I keep making excuses and tell myself that this will be the last hair i will pull. Then I keep pulling it till i get a hair with a bulb. And even then I don't stop. It's really frustrating and i feel ashamed of myself after my hair pulling 'sessions' It's like I'm an 'bulb-a-holic'.
TrichMaster
May 22, 2014
Hi Catherine. I know what you are talking about with the hair roots or just getting that one perfect hair. And I also know of the shame you are talking about. It can be terrible to go through. We really do suffer! It can be stopped if the level of my urge is not too uncontrollable. We know when the urge is just too much for us, and we know when we can exert control. If my urge level is uncontrollable to the point of where I would rather just pull than try not to pull, I know I am in trouble. I do something about it. The desire to stop must be more powerful than the desire to pull. Focusing on ways to get the urge down helps me. I use a biological means of control before I can even think about willing myself to stop. Behavioral modification doesn't help me when the urge is too high. Nothing works better at reducing the urge to pull than supplementation, diet and exercise in my experience.
TrichMaster
May 22, 2014

In reply to by catherine

When you achieve optimal well being is when you have the most control. Sugar is an addictive inflammatory substace that drives trichsters up the wall. Go to the john kender diet page and learn. Get a journal. Write down what you are consuming and how you are feeling. Get to know the severity of your urges and what's going on when they appear. Learn what foods and situations trigger you. Give up these trigger foods and you will experience relief I guarantee it. Once you get the urge down, to deal with minor or moderate urges you can tell yourself, "I love you, You don't have to pull." Anyone who says that diet has nothing to do with it makes me wonder if they may be more addicted to food or eating too much processed hidden trigger ingredients, just saying. Hypnotic tracks specifically geared for trich help me too, I got one off of Instant hypnosis.com. I like it. Ocean sounds and visualization, relaxation, etc. specifically geared toward stopping the pull. But know that the hypnotic tracks are more useful once you lessen the urge to pull through healthy lifestyle choices. Our diet is almost like a diabetics in that we can't eat cakes, cookies and pies and that can be hard to accept. But, we can have fruit. I love freezing bananas and blending them in my Vita A Mix blender (high powered) to make bananna ice cream. Potassium is very good for us trichsters. I used to be addicted to regular ice cream. Regular ice cream would send me on a pulling frenzy every time. It's important to learn how to have a very clean diet. Learn about detoxing the body of harmful toxin in a healthy way and consume a diet that doesn't promote inflammation in the body. A whole living foods diet is great. I often do the raw until 4 program and I still consume healthy lean proteins. Also, check out what N acetylecysteine does to the glutathione levels in our brain. Also , MSM, Inositol, Magnesium Calm are great supplements to try. Test each one individually to make sure you have no allergy to any of them. Relaxing lavender baths with soothing music after a hard day helps. You will find what works for you. I am praying for you.
NYpullgirl
June 17, 2016
I've had a resurgence of the hair pulling and then biting off the root and chewing on it. What is it about the root that is so compelling. It was instinctual to do that from the start, when I was in my teens. Getting the hair by the root, was the whole entire point of the exercise. Anything less didn't count...
KeepCalm_CarryOn
August 07, 2017
For me the urges got worse the longer I waited, the longer I waited the more hair I'd pull...

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