Impulsivity and Trichotillomania

 I want to discuss how impulsivity is a huge component to the disorder Trichotillomania. Also referred to as "Trich", it is, "is when someone cannot resist the urge to pull out their hair. They may pull out the hair on their head or in other places, such as their eyebrows or eyelashes. Trich is more common in teenagers and young adults"(Source). The condition itself is considered an Impulse control condition. Trich is often comorbid with other mental health conditions. Often, Trich is strongly linked with obsessive compulsive disorder, or OCD for short. Trichotillomania is known to cause damage to the persons body. Balding, scabbing, and permanent hair loss is common in severe cases. Even in the less severe cases, temporary baldness and patching is common. I personally have been suffering with this condition for roughly 2 years. I have a significantly less severe case than most people. I developed this repetitive bodily movement during quarantine, the summer of 2020. It provides a feeling of relief for me. I noticed I started to rub my eyebrows, sometimes pressing on them and twisting them at times. I did not think much of it until I noticed I was starting to see some very slight hair loss. This is when I discovered this habit I once called "harmless"  was much harder to control than I thought. When I'd try to just stop doing it, It almost felt like a physical pain, or a build up of energy while not performing this ritualistic behavior. I've had many trial and errors. I've gone a month without doing it, and than out of no where this unconscious habit returns, usually during stressful or idle times. I have no began to work with a professional, and am seeing immense progress. The key treatment approach to Trich is a combination of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, or CBT, and Habit Reversal Training.