please help me (hair pulling)

[emmac25]

i realy have had enough of these doctors in this country... ive been suffering from trichotillomania for over ten years and there is no help available to me atall... i only over the past few years learnt what it was.. as i thought what i was diong was stange and was convinsed i was the only one.. then one day i got accsess to the internet and typed in hair pulling not expecting to see what i saw... the disorder was me down to a T and i remember tears of relief.. because i could now go to a doctor and tell him what i had!.. i tondok me a while to do it as its such an imbarising thing to didsscuss realy.. but eventually i done it.. but..after i had told him what i was suffering from.. he looked at me in this strange wat as if to say what the hell are you talking about.. he hadnt of heard of trich atall.. and he asured me that i would grow out of it!!! this was a few years ago now and ive continued to read about trich on the internet when ive had a chance.. anyway i went a second time two years later when i was going through a bad patch and my hair pulling was getting worse.. i saw a different doc ang again they hadnt heard of it and looked at me like i was crasy.. she told me there was nothing she could dod and it was down to myself to to end it.. she came uo with things like pinging an elastic band on my wrist when i pulled or wearing a hair net etc.. i came out again didshearntend and angry that these doctors couldnt realy help me.. another two years past and i tryed again when i was feeling so down about it all.. this being recently.. i changed my docters surgury in hope to find a better docter.. feeling positive when i went in and told him my story.. i asked him if he knew of the disorder he told me no and he looked at me as if id just made the word up! i coudldnt beleave what he was telling me next.. he told me there is no medication.. event thiugh ive read that some can help.. be he wouldnt give me anything.. i asked him he he would forward me to a cognitive therapist as ive heard they can help.. but he told me even he he did the waiting list can take forever and its very unlikely that my case would be excepted as its not a serious as a person who is suicidal and seeing things.. i felt angry at this point and couldnt look him in the eye anymore and began to cry..  he wanted me to hurry up ang get out of the room by the sounds of it to.. he was clearly in a rush for the next patient. i came out in floods of tears with my two year old daughter in tow.. why dont these doctors know about it.. ive been suffering long enough.. im so upset and angry.. if my illness isnt serious enough for a therapist to take on what help is there for people like me?? im realy at the end of my tether now.. it is effecting my life and i sao very much want to move on from this and live a normle life again.. please if anyone knows of any suggestions please let me know.. or if there are any doctors out there

[Denise1175]

hello everyone....
my sister has suffered with this disorder since she was around 7 years old, she's now nearly 39.
She's had hypnotherapy, seen psychiatristics, counsellors, had medication (anafranil i believe it was)..... psychologists.... you name it.
She has worn a wig now for a lot of years and it really gets her down.
SHe also has other ocd problems, checking things over and over.....so i do think it goes hand in hand with OCD probs.
she has just started with a new therapist, so fingers crossed that this just happens to be the one who helps!..... keep on pushing for the help you need.
i'm here if anyone wants to talk to me about it....as i feell i've gone thru this for years with my sis... it can be very distressing. D xx

[ivan_elbisivni]

i face the same.....for 7 years...it wasn't serious initially
but its grown worse and i found out i am not the only one after i read a newspaper article
but i haven't got rid of it even though i have spoken t mu therapist about it
lets see

[ILADVOCATE]

First of all, being that its a form of ocd, I believe they use medications that are used for obsessive compulsive disorder. Also I would believe there are support groups. And most importantly sometimes a disability is unknown even to some providers. Years ago my friend was treated in an abusive manner because he had Tourrette's syndrome in psych. hospitals and denied food (that would never happen now btw) as "punishment" for "bad behavior". Besides getting treatment and joining a support group he educated people including providers on what Tourrette's was. I do the same now as regards tardive dyskinesia and what they are identifying as tardive psychosis. However, trichotilomania is a very established diagnosis. Look up online resources and find a psychiatrist who will treat it. Then educate other people as to what it is.