Trichotillomania is an impulse control disorder in which the person with the condition is unable to stop themselves pulling out their own hair. It is not a condition that is talked about much, but it can destroy people’s lives and self-esteem.
However, there are a number of treatment options available for people who have been diagnosed with trichotillomania. These include:
Habit reversal training
This is a kind of behaviour therapy which teaches people with the condition to identify the conditions in which urge to pull hair arises. Through relaxation and other techniques, they are taught new responses and new behaviours. These are called ‘competing responses’ and could be something as simple as squeezing a stress toy with the hand they use to pull out hair.
Cognitive therapy
This is used to deal with any kinds of distorted thinking the sufferer experiences in relation to stress and its consequential hair-pulling behaviour.
Medication
Medication can be used as part of a treatment programme for trichotillomania, particularly an anti-depressant medication known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This medication can help in controlling very intense urges, such as the urge to pull hair.