I just watched a video on YouTube titled – Trichotillomania: A True Medical Mystery – where they interviewed a medical doctor who explained that trich is baffling because so little is known about it. That was in 2008. Today, although the underlying imbalances that can lead to trich are much better understood, the medical therapies and treatments for trich have changed very little. One of the reasons is that trich is not caused by a deficiency of any drug or medical treatment, so there is no permanent solution using those techniques. However, for many people suffering from trich, imbalances in brain chemicals (called neurotransmitters) can cause or exacerbate the compulsion to pull.
Over the past nine years, our understanding of the underlying biochemical imbalances that can lead to trich (and many other disorders, including depression, anxiety, migraines, insomnia, compulsions, over-eating and chronic pain) has greatly expanded. This site will contain much of that information; you can also visit www.neuroassist.com and www.chknutrition.com to locate other research and products that can expand your knowledge of how amino acid therapy can help you or someone you love eliminate the urge to pull.
It really amazes me how we know so much more then ever about the human body but at the same time there is still so much that we have left to learn. It’s like we only just scratched the surface.
Hi Scott,
The discoveries that science and medicine are uncovering is truly astounding. I read several medical and nutrition-related journals each week and one thing is for certain – there will be no shortage of ground-breaking discoveries anytime soon. A case in point – it wasn’t until the last few years that we realized that amino acid therapy was so beneficial for resolving trichotillomania; it wasn’t because we targeted trich. It was because clients that were on amino acid therapy for other conditions, such as depression, anxiety, OCD, ADD/ADHD, migraines or insomnia, started telling us they also no longer had any urges to pull. That’s when we started digging and discovered that for many people, neurotransmitter imbalance is at the core of their urge to pull and when we correct that underlying imbalance, the urge goes away.
Thanks for the comment!
Dr. Chad
I wonder what other causes and affects does the trich can have on the human body. Are there any permanent solution or medicine that can help overcome trich
Hi Michelle,
These are great questions; I will do my best to give you a couple concise answers.
As for the causes/effects of trich, we have found and research suggests that the urge to pull in many/most people is caused by imbalances in brain chemicals called neurotransmitters. This is based largely on clinical data in regards to the positive response of people with trich to amino acid therapy in addition to the fact that the only medications that seem to offer any improvement for some people with trich alter neurotransmitter levels.
We have identified two different types of pulling: (1) pulling due to the urge to pull and (2) pulling that is habitual and/or largely unconscious. We work to address the urges to pull. Once those urges are under control, we have found that people are in a much better position to address the habitual aspects of pulling. This is often accomplished using methods such as cognitive behavioral therapy, body awareness and/or stress management techniques.
The neurotransmitter imbalances that can lead to trich can have a variety of effects in the body – see this post for more details: https://stoppullinghairout.com/2012/04/26/imbalances-in-neurotransmitters-often-cause-disease-symptoms/; for a more complete discussion, visit: http://amino-acid-therapy.com/. It is not uncommon for a person to experience or exhibit several of the disorders associated with neurotransmitter imbalance over their lifetime. The trich doesn’t cause these reactions; it is just another indication that neurotransmitter imbalance is present.
As for long tern solutions, we have found that amino acid therapy provides the best starting point for a permanent solution. Once a person’s neurotransmitter function is optimized, they are in a much better position to address any remaining triggers in regards to pulling, which can provide a lasting solution over time.
I hope this provides you a bit more insight; be sure and check out other posts on this blog – there is a lot of information here to help you try and make some sense of trich –
Sincerely,
Dr. Chad
Thank you Dr. Chad for providing an in-depth detail on trich. I have started checking out other posts on your site.
Thanks
Fantastic site you have here but I was wondering if you knew of any user discussion forums that cover the same topics talked about in this article? I’d really love to be a part of online community where I can get advice from other experienced people that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Bless you!
I wish these user forums were out there!! I don’t know of any off-hand, but will certain post about it if/when we find out about some.
There are many forums for people with trich -we have detailed several in this blog. However, I don’t know of any related to amino acid therapy; however, you will find some useful comments on this blog, so that provides a great place to start!
Good luck and please let me know if you come across some other sites/forums that you think would be of use to others.
Take care –
Dr. Chad