Trichotillomania, also known as ‘hair pulling disorder’, is a condition where sufferers feel an uncontrollable urge to pull out hair from their body, which they believe relieves tension. It usually develops at a young age and can stay throughout the sufferer’s adult life, until they receive therapy. If left untreated, trichotillomania can cause serious skin and hair issues, extreme low self-esteem and in some cases, blocked digestive tracts when hair is consumed. At Bridges Therapy Centre, our counsellors and psychologists in London can help you to overcome hair pulling urges, replacing them with less harmful habits.
People with trichotillomania (sometimes known as ‘trich’) often know the damage they cause when hair pulling, but cannot control the impulse. These hair pulling urges may happen especially when they are stressed, as a way to try and relieve tension and soothe themselves. Trich symptoms can include:
- Repeatedly pulling hair out from your scalp, eyebrows, or eyelashes, but also from other areas of your body
- Feeling tense before pulling, or when trying to resist pulling
- A sense of relief or satisfaction after hair is pulled
- Hair loss where hair has been pulled out, including sparse eyelashes or eyebrows
- Chewing, biting, or eating pulled out hair
- Preference for specific types or textures of hair
- Repeatedly trying to stop pulling out hair, often with no success
- Significant distress or problems at work, school or in social situations due to hair pulling.
Overcoming Trichotillomania
Using our talking therapy and counselling approaches, our team of therapists in Hendon, Canary Wharf and online can provide you with techniques to control trichotillomania. Taking into account your specific impulses and needs, we will help you to develop tools that can help you to self-manage your trich symptoms. Often, this will involve a type of CBT called habit reversal training, where our psychologists will help you to replace your hair pulling habits with habits that are not harmful.
How We Can Help
We understand that each sufferer of trichotillomania is different, which is why we spend time getting to know you and your habits during our therapy sessions. This will then give us the opportunity to create a bespoke treatment plan to help to get you on the right road to recovery.
Contact Us
If you are suffering from the effects of your trich impulses and would like to discuss your therapy options, please get in touch with our specialist team for a free 15 minute initial consultation.
Bridges Therapy Centre
18a Heriot Road,
London, NW4 2DG
Bridges Therapy Centre - Hendon, London, NW4 - English & Hebrew Counselling & Therapy Services
The contents on this site is for information only, and is not meant to substitute the advice of your own physician or other medical professional