Anyone heard of trichotillomania? Help needed...
I know there's not much life on here nowadays, but not really anywhere else I can ask.
Will save you the Google if you've not heard of it - http://www.nhs.uk/conditions/trichotillomania/Pages/introduction.aspx
My eldest boy seems to have developed it and I don't know what to do. I noticed he had a bald patch last week, thought he'd cut or shaved his hair but when I asked him how it had appeared he was very honest and told me he'd sat in class pulling it out because he was struggling with the work he was doing - not that he couldn't do it, just that there was so much of it. He's just moved up to KS2 and their workload is bonkers IMO, for 7yo's. We had a big chat, spoke to his teacher who was really surprised because he's so bright, never complains, never in trouble etc. said she'd keep an eye on him and it had started to grow back but collected him from school one day this week and it was even worse.
There's all sorts going on in the background at school now to hopefully get some help but I just wondered if anyone had any experiences. He doesn't do it at home so I can't intervene to break the cycle for him here, I'm very much depending on the school's help at the moment.
Replies
No experience but didn't want to read and run. Bless his little heart. I hope the school are able to help out.
Sshh.... I have this. Mild version but as a teen it got bad and it rears its head now at times and I genuinely have no idea I am doing it. Your poor boy. What have the school said they can/will do? I guess the last thing you want is drawing attention to it if he's already tense, but you definitely want to break the cycle.
I don't have any experience but I did see a girl on "This Morning" with it. She had some councilling which was helping. I think the teachers comments are a bit unhelpful. Even though he is really bright and capable he may not cope with the pressure well. In fact it can be harder when people expect the best from you.
I hope you can get your son the help and support that he needs. Hope the school is helpful aswell. One of my friends at school had this and would pull out her eyelashes. Sometimes she wasn't too bad sometimes it would get really bad.
Thanks for the replies everyone, really appreciated
I think his actual teacher is off sick this week so it's been difficult pinning someone down to talk to about it, but the lady who deals with this kind of thing and who I know called me yesterday and was lovely. We talked through a plan of action so we'll see how it goes. The school is very aware of it now so hopefully a pattern will emerge if there is one.
I just feel a bit helpless, it's quite a big patch he's covered so is very noticable. I had to try very hard not to freak out because I didn't want him to see how worried I was in case it made him want to do it again. He is getting even more upset about the stares too, bless him. Hard being Mum sometimes isn't it!
It makes things harder when your child's normal teacher is off sick.
It is natural toe feel a bit helpless, as you said it is hard being a Mum, it is the hardest thing you can ever do. You have done all you can, the hardest thing is it being noticed at school I expect out of school he could where a cap, or hoddy, so it wouldn't notice so much.
Only just seen this. My friend's daughter had this, it was around the time her mum was diagnosed with cancer and she would sit in class pulling it out. The school were pretty supportive and I can't remember all the details as it was 5 years ago but I know one of the things they did was give her a piece of blutack, and when she felt like pulling at her hair, she played with this instead. I suppose this is along the same kind of idea of people having elastic bands on their wrists that they snap when they feel overwhelmed/anxious etc.
I hope you get some support from school, I can't imagine how it feels seeing your child go through that but it's obvious that he has the right support from home. I think it must be harder for boys as it's more noticeable. All the best x
I used to do this when I was in secondary school, no idea why it started. I covered quite a big patch and was really self conscious about it so I forced myself to stop, I told my friends to give me a slap if they saw me doing it. I never knew it was an actual condition.
Hopefully he will grow out of it x
Mine's flared right up and if I realise I'm doing it I think of your son, sshh! Hope he's doing well.
Oh bless you all lovely ladies. Poor you Counter, he is so nonchalant and funny about it and kept offering me up his bald spot to kiss!
He is doing ok - no more hair pulling since before half term so it's growing back nicely now, though he kept pulling until it got to about the size of a fist so we had to go get it cut really short. The school were very helpful and got him in to see the nurse to see if there were any underlying problems, but nothing came of that. His teacher didn't come back from sick leave in the end so he's settled with a long term supply at the moment who had a reshuffle in the classroom, fingers crossed whatever it was that was bothering him has been sorted. I think it's just one of those things we'll never know the answer to.
I did the same when I was 10/11 - I had long hair with a fringe and pulled out loads under the fringe and round the back, my Mum went mad at me and tried to style it to cover it up. Nothing was done to help. I still do it now a bit, but more breaking split ends than pulling out hair, definitely when I am stressed and usually at work.