To Pull or Not to Pull? Many people in the United States struggle with some sort of anxiety disorder. There are many different kinds of anxiety disorders, some are more well known than others. One of the lesser known anxiety disorders is Trichotillomania or “trich” for short. Many often picture anxiety attacks as somebody crying and low on breathe, but trich is not like that at all. Trichotillomania is a hair pulling disorder, about 8 million people are known to have trich. But that number is not considering all the unreported cases (Trichotillomania : Background, Pathophysiology, Etiology). People with trich are referred to as trichsters. In comparison to other anxiety disorders not a lot of information is known about trich. Trichotillomania …show more content…
Some of the common symptoms include repetitive hair pulling, which often sends a sense of relief or pleasure to a person. The feeling of relief is followed by the feeling of guilt and embarrassment (Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania)). Other symptoms include preference for certain hair types, biting or chewing on hair after it has been pulled out (Mayo Clinic Staff). Trichotillomania is diagnosed based on the symptoms the person is showing or experiencing (What is Trichotillomania?). Along with the symptoms trich can also be diagnosed if the person’s hair loss is because of self inflicted pulling, rather than a medical condition that causes hair loss (Mayo Clinic Staff). After being diagnosed many people choose to seek help in order to try and get trich under manageable …show more content…
In a recent study it was shown that people who struggle with trich have had a severe social and emotional impact because of this disorder. Many people after pulling hair have a tendency to nibble or swallow the roots of their hair (Trichotillomania Learning Center). Nibbling on hairs can cause damage to the tooth enamel by wearing it down (Penzel, Fred). This can become very dangerous when entire hairs are swallowed because this can lead to a hairball being formed inside the body, which could cause intestinal blockage. If this happens surgery could be needed to remove the hairball(s) (Trichotillomania Learning Center). Hairballs in the digestive tract can lead to weight loss, vomiting, intestinal destruction, and even death (Mayo Clinic Staff). Another problem that could occur is muscle or motion injuries (Trichotillomania Learning Center). Because of the constant movement people do when pulling nerves can be pinched in the body and muscles can be easily pulled (Penzel, Fred). Skin and hair damage is a frequent issue that people with trich deal with. If hair is being constantly being pulled the growth of the hair can be affected. On specific areas where hair is pulled from, the skin can become infected and further damaged (Mayo Clinic Staff). Calluses can be formed on fingertips because of constant pulling (Penzel, Fred). Although