Trichotillomania (TTM)

Trichotillomania (TTM) is also commonly known as Compulsive Hair Pulling. It involves the pulling of one's hair, most often from the scalp, but often from other areas, e.g. the face (eyelashes, eyebrows, beards, and moustaches), arms, legs, underarms, chest, stomach, and genital area. 

It is classed as an Impulse Control Disorder, along with intermittent explosive disorder, kleptomania, pathological gambling, and pyromania. Dependant on which current research you read it may or may not be an Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

Trichotillomania can occur at any age. Children tend to suffer from automatic trichotillomania, in that they do not necessarily realise they are doing it, they are also least likely to pull hair from anywhere but the scalp. It is thought that children under five will grow out of the condition.

Adults can either suffer with automatic trichotillomania or focused trichotillomania, possibly both dependant on the given situation, there is no 'common' sufferer or situation. Each time can be different even for the same individual. Trichotillomania suffers can 'lose' themselves for hours in the task. They may feel trapped in the moment, knowing they have spent a long time doing it, but be physically unable to refrain themselves. 

Trichotillomania can be a form of self harm, although the sufferer may not feel that way. My personal experience is that I never considered it self harm, but was ashamed if anyone saw me do it. I often did not ever know I was doing it. For me my problem becomes worse during times of great stress. Sufferers of trichotillomania can also suffer from OCDs and mental health problems, i.e. depression, anxiety, etc. but this is not always the case.

For more information and support visit the links below:

• Trichotillomania Learning Center. This is an American website, but they offer international support in groups and online.
• OCD - UK 
•  NHS

Self Harm

I caught the tail end of an ITV interview on This Morning (4/4/12) about a lady who used to self harm. The lady is recovering now, she mentioned her great support network, professional as well as family and friends.

I appreciate the lady had immense strength in coming forward and sharing her story. I wish her well and hope she continues to keep well and safe.

I understand that ITV only have a limited amount of time available to these stories and that they are trying to raise awareness and often add details to their website. There is currently a list of Self Harm helplines here. But again I felt that self harm is not acknowledged unless you 'cut'.

I have self harmed for longer than I can remember. I wonder whether it's habit or need that drives my habit.

I will post separately about my personal situation, I just want to say that there are a variety of self harmers that don't cut. They are no less important and deserve no less help. 

This is taken from the NHS website

Types of self-harm may include:

• cutting the skin
• burning the skin
• punching your own body
• poisoning yourself with tablets
• misusing alcohol or drugs
• eating disorders, such as deliberately starving yourself (anorexia nervosa), binge eating or bulimia.

This from The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

Self-harm happens when you hurt or harm yourself. You may:

• take too many tablets – an overdose
• cut yourself
• burn yourself
• bang your head or throw yourself against something hard
• punch yourself
• stick things in your body
• swallow things.

According to a survey by The Royal College of Psychiatrists:

• About 1 in 10 young people will self-harm at some point, but it can happen at any age.
• The research probably under-estimates how common self-harm is. It is usually based on surveys of people who go to hospital or their GP after harming themselves. However, we know that a lot of people do not seek help after self-harm. Some types of self-harm, like cutting, may be more secret and so less likely to be noticed.
• In a recent study of over 4000 self-harming adults in hospital, 80% had overdosed and around 15% had cut themselves. In the community, it is likely that cutting is a more common way of self-harming than taking an overdose.

It is clear that there are a variety of self harm methods, I am not going to list reasons for self harm as they are often personal, and although it fits nicely into the 'mental health' diagnosis, this isn't always the case. 

People who self harm may or may not be suffering from depression, they may or may not be suicidal (there is often no link between the two), they may or may not be stressed, suffering from anxiety, be under pressure, be dealing with a bereavement, etc. It can happen to anyone.

If you or anyone you know are affected by self harm, there is support available.

NHS Choices Website

Mind - Understanding Self Harm

The Royal College of Psychiatrists Self-Harm

The Site.org Self-Harm

National Pet Month

April is National Pet Month and Kate On Thin Ice has invited people to post pictures and comments about their pets and link up here.

Here are a collection of my favourite pictures of my boys. 

Daz (white staffy cross) has been with me since he was six month old, he is now seven years old. He came from a rescue centre and had been badly treated. He was a little skittish, but now is one of the most laid back dogs on the planet. 

Tyson (I didn't name him!) is a seven or eight year old Jack Russell cross, possibly with a ferret. I took him in for a couple of days whilst his owner moved house, eighteen months ago! He did have a short stay with new owners, but they did not treat him well, so I returned him back to my pack. I'm guessing he isn't going anywhere for a while.