Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) Support Group

Wow. I have never pulled for more than an hour straight, and an hour is pretty long for me! Are you on medication by any chance? Medication has helped me stop doing it for so long.

Trout- that sounds like many of my evenings. I am getting pretty good, but when I start...it it hard to stop. I will dig under the skin for new hairs as well. I finally got so sick of my red itchy hair pores that I am making myself not do it! I have never spent 8 hrs but definitely 2, and yes, it is physically draining and I feel so ashamed and embarassed afterward.

I have definitely struggled having nights like this before as well. I will sit there and pluck every individual hair off of my legs. It looks disgusting when I am finished and I feel like crap afterwards.

I would recommend getting a soothing cream or lotion so that when you do this, some of the irritation and redness will go away and feel better. Whenever I did this, it helped me to feel better if I could try to turn it into a positive. I would try to think, "Well, I was going to shave anyhow and now I don't have to," instead on focusing on how lame I felt.

I would suggest seeing a counselor and getting some meds if you are not on them already. Also...watch your moods. What kind of a mood are you in when you pull for so long? Have you had a bad day? Are you tired or stressed or bored? As soon as you realize that mood is coming on, keep your hands busy right away.

Hang in there! We're all here for you!

I've never pulled for 8 hours, BUT i do know exactly what you mean when you are just in the Mood To Pull and you just can't put the mirror or the tweezers down and once you're out of hairs to pull you start looking for ingrowns or any other thing to dig at. When I get like this the only way to stop is to get out of the house. I belong to a 24 hour gym and I've gone at 3 am before just to get out of my house and away from my tweezers. After a good workout and a shower the urge passes. Just a suggestion.

I pull mostly from my scalp. Today I feel like I pull every spare moment when noones watching. I wish I didn't it's hard hey. So i guess you could say I pull all day long. Lucky I have lots of hair. My docs given me Lexapro partly for depression and partly trich, except a higher dose which is supposed to help the pull, makes me very tired. Prolly try a new med soon.

I for sure am with you on the many hour factor. there have been several occasions through out my life where I'll just be in a pulling zone...I don't even realise I'm doing it half the time, only to look down at the floor and find mass pile sitting there mocking me. And you are right to about the physical pain just to hold your arms in the position you need. I pull my head hair in the middle in the back, so my are is all streched over my head all awkward.
I also remember the many hours I spent as a young adolescent sittin on the toilet pulling and never thinking this could be a problem.

Wow Trout, 8 hours is a long time. I can recall pulling for a few hours one night and that is when I pulled all the hair on the right side of my head in the back. I remember that night because I was pretty depressed about losing my brother. He had passed just 2 months prior to that night and I think that's when it sunk in that he was gone. I remember just sitting and watching late night TV and was in a trance and then the moment I realized what I had done, it was too late to even try to cover up my problem. I always found myself pulling when I was depressed, stressed out or when I was due for my period. I seem to think TTM has alot to do with hormones. Keeping myself busy is key to any success I have because when I sit and watch TV, I want to pull my hair so I try not to be idle when watching TV. I'll fold laundry or talk on the phone or most times I will go on the computer just to keep my fingers busy. I believe support from members on this site is extremely helpful and informative. So let me ask you something....when do you sleep if you're pulling during those hours?? You must be exhausted!!! I've read that if you put cream or oil on the fingers that it will help deter any pulling since it makes it difficult. Maybe that might something to consider or maybe reading a book. Hang in there and know you are not alone!

i havent pulled but I sure have picked....maybe my longest at one time was 1hour and a half....but i have picked on and off all day today some times liek 45 mins then i stop then again...and its so painful to be in those positions..i also just came off of Anafranil and picking is worse now....anyway i hope you can feel better soon....

I have found that marathon pulling sessions happen due to sugar and caffeine. A lot of sugar causes a trance. A lot of coffee causes insomnia. A lot of both is deadly! Try cutting back.

that makes sense about the sugar, as i am desperately addicted to sugar-- comparable to a serious drug addiction. there was one time in my life when i stopped eating sugar for six months, and i stopped pulling hair that whole time. i sort of thought i might have stopped pulling for other reasons, but that sugar free time was pretty much the only time i haven't had absolutely no pubic hair in the last 8 years. so it must be related. now a i am back to my old sugar-crazed, hairless self.