Trich and Me

First post and I already feel as though I'm in one of those AA meetings you see on TV. Let's start: "Hi, I'm Trich-ster and I have trichotillomania, dermatillomania and trichophagia."

Okay, so that is sorted now, why I am here? I'm writing this as there seems to be a distinct lack of personal information out there about my afflictions. Apparently, the whole Trich community want sufferers to know that they are not alone but no-one really sets down what life is like with Trich. I don't think that we can feel unashamed about these conditions when sufferers are too scared to write about how they affect their lives. Come out of the closet Trichsters, there's nothing to be ashamed or embarrassed about any more.

Also, I've looked at some of the websites out there dedicated to Trichsters and found them to be pretty patronizing. I guess I just hate that flowery "We're here for you" nonsense. I think that type of attitude is holding us back and keeping Trich "out of the spotlight", so to speak. If someone can talk about the reality of living with Trich, we're going to get one step closer to being able to feel less like freaks. As it stands, with all of the patronization and huggy, floweriness, we're not getting the information out. The more it stays out of public view, the longer we're going to feel as though we're doing something crazy to ourselves. Cutters get a lot of press and cutting has become almost socially acceptable with teens (I don't think that is good though). If people around us know about our condition then we're going to get more support and help, that is a fact. And if this blog, no matter how abrasive I might sound, gets though to someone then I'm fulfilling the purpose of setting this up.

Trich remains a "hidden" affliction that is severely misunderstood by almost everyone. A couple of years ago I was sitting in my Abnormal Psychology lecture and Trich was covered very briefly when we were covering ICD's (Impulse Control Disorders). I recall seeing the lesson plan in advance and thought that maybe there would be some positive information given by my lecturer, a professional clinical psychologist. Was I wrong. He covered Kleptomania and Compulsive Gambling as though these were bona fide problems. His response to Trich was "This is an insane affliction. Can any of you imagine sitting there and pulling your hair out? That's just crazy." Great, a long time Trichster is sitting in the room and listening to this and the agreement of peers. I felt fantastic coming out of that lecture, I have to admit! I could not believe the ignorance of a so-called "professional". Unfortunately, I can understand why he made those comments and it is because of us. We are too ashamed to talk about it and raise real awareness. However, I did make him aware that there was a sufferer in the room. Apologies and patronization flowed. Next time I hope he thinks before he speaks.

Just to let you know, you're not alone. More posts to come.