I recently had an initial consultation with a woman – let’s call her Mary – that had been suffering from trichotillomania for 34 years. Mary had tried “everything” to get her urges to pull under control, including many different medications, various forms of psychotherapy, and supplementation including 5-HTP. Since 5-HTP is one of the amino acids we use as a part of our amino acid formulas, she assumed that she had already “tried” our approach as well. Nothing could be further from the truth.
We have shared many times throughout this blog that we us a combination of nutrients, including 5-HTP, tyrosine, L-dopa, cysteine, vitamin C, calcium, vitamin B6 and folate, individually tailored to each person’s specific needs in order to achieve a successful resolution of symptoms. However, proper use of these simple ingredients is not simple.
As I explained this to Mary, she began to see that what she had done was take a few pills in a haphazard way with no real clinical direction in the hopes of hitting a home run. While this is certainly understandable – she was desperate for results and was grasping at anything that even remotely promised some resolution – it had very little chance of success.
Mary then asked, “Why should I take the products you recommend when I can just go to the health food store and buy all the needed ingredients and take them myself?” I said she could certainly try this approach, but it had an incredibly low chance of success. I explained, “Going into a health food store and purchasing the ingredients would be like going into an art store and buying a bunch of paints then going home and expecting to paint like a master artist even though you have no previous painting experience. While it is possible for this to happen, it is incredibly improbable. These nutrients have tremendous potential when used in the right combination by someone trained in their proper use. However, just like with an artist, experience and practice is required to realize their full value.”
There was a pause and I could almost see the light go on in Mary’s mind – she got it. Her next question was a bit easier, “When can I get started?!” to which I replied, “Right now.”
Many people, in there desperate search for a solution to their (often) insatiable urges to pull try a whole host of different remedies and treatments to eliminate trich. This will many times involve the use of one or more supplements, including various amino acids. However, the utility of these compounds is only realized when administered under the care of a health care professional trained in their proper usage. When used properly, these nutrients can produce astounding results that are nothing short of miraculous in many cases.
