We see a lot of people with trichotillomania; in fact, we get referrals from all over the world from doctors and other health care professionals that are looking for ways to get their patients well. Every one of these referrals have the tell-tale symptoms of trichotillomania: the compulsive urge to pull, pick or twist their hair or skin that is disrupting their day-to-day lives. Even though this is what brings them in, we need to address the underlying imbalance(s) that leads to these urges for another reason.
Neurotransmitter imbalance is at the heart of trichotillomania. When neurotransmitter function is impaired, the brain’s communication lines get crossed and it sends the wrong signals. With trichotillomania, this blurs the line between pleasure and pain in regards to pulling/picking. It also leads to compulsive and impulsive behaviors that are outside conscious control (which means you can’t just tell yourself to stop doing it). However, over time these same neurotransmitter imbalances do and often will lead to a number of other symptoms related to neurotransmitter imbalance, such as depression, anxiety, sleep difficulties, poor attention and/or concentration, migraines, poor memory and addiction.
Once more, neurotransmitter dysfunction has been associated with a number of diseases and disorders other than trichotillomania, including Parkinson’s disease, dementia, Crohn’s disease, ADD/ADHD, fibromyalgia, depression, obsessive compulsive disorder, obesity and restless leg syndrome. We need to eliminate the underlying neurotransmitter imbalances that lead to the urges to pull/pick so that we halt any progression towards one or more of these other disorders.
Yes, balancing your neurotransmitter levels will reduce and eliminate the urges to pull or pick associated with trich. Restoring optimal neurotransmitter function will also address the underlying cause of many, many other disorders so that you can live the rest of your life as healthfully as possible.
AnnahAugust 30, 2012I thought the movie was ittnresnieg. I too was expecting a comedy. Regarding Trich, the only thing I didn’t like was the potential for people to associate it with people are depressed or discontent with life. In any case, the moment she pulled for the first time was surprisingly shocked. It was also scary since I’m a writer too. I’ve had Trich since I was about 14 yrs old (or b/f). It wasn’t until college (psych major) that I realized it was a diagnosed condition that other people have. It has been an on-and-off habit over the years. When you read about it, it’s easy to dismiss for some, since the degree of hair pulling varies from person to person. In trying to explain it to other people, I usually compare it to nail biting or thumb sucking (soothing/habitual). I also understand from some of the research that it may in fact be a neurobiological condition. In either case, I venture to think the percentage of people who live with it (or have lived with it at some point) is higher than 2%. I look forward to bringing more awareness to it and also helping young people identify it early
Thanks for sharing Delwar!
Dr Chad