I found a way to control my hair-pulling.

Sharmayla · 29-11-2012, 07:52 PM

Hi everyone. How is everyone doing? I had an epiphany about my hair-pulling the other day that I want to share. I hope it helps someone. I've been pulling since around age 10, maybe earlier. I'm 55 now, and it's been really rough. Well, the other day, I thought: Why am I sitting here pulling my hair out when there are so many other things I could be doing instead? Such as: housework, exercise, something that requires both hands such as washing the dishes, mopping the floor, cleaning the bathrooms, needlepoint, so many other things! I know it's very hard to stop yourself. It takes everything in me to stop myself once I start. I noticed that if something startles me, or if there's a minor emergency that needs my immediate attention, that also helps. I think if someone in my family clapped their hands next to my ear and said "Snap out of it!", that might help me. I really do. So now when I look around and see everything else I could be doing (my house is an absolute mess), I think I don't have time to be pulling my hair. I could be cleaning up this mess instead. I hope this helps someone.

I tried to change my mood from stressed to very optimistic, but don't know how to change it.
Oh, and another thing: Is anyone else like me? I never pull when I'm around alot of people, so if I start, it helps to get out in public around alot of people. It's just hard to snap out of it and actually do it. Believe me, I know how hard it is.