Good morning world!
I have been doing a fair amount of musing lately, as I evaluate where I am in my own path of recovery. As of now, I have had one mini-relapse of pulling in the past ten years, right after a death in the family. That mini-relapse lasted 2 days with about 100 hairs pulled, and then I was back on track. With my skin picking, I have picked a few times over the past years, but never beyond a couple minutes here and there.
And this is after 23 years of desperately trying to control both hair pulling and skin picking, which engaged hours of my time every day.
So am I in recovery? Unequivocally – the answer is yes. Today I know what freedom from compulsion feels like, I know what to do if the impulses arise, and I know how to take care of myself in a way that minimizes the potential for moving back into unwanted behavior.
And I am learning how to share what worked for me, slowly but surely. More on this soon!
But where are all the others who have moved into recovery? This is a big conundrum for me, as I know they are out there, but they simply disappear once the behaviors resolve.
For whatever reason, I have received a calling to work in this area, and to stay with it even though I no longer suffer. So why aren’t there more of us doing this work? I don’t really have an answer, but it is on my mind lately.
Ah, the mysteries of life!
Love to all, Christina
6 Comments
Hi Christina,
It is pretty typical with many of the support groups I work with that people who have made good recoveries are active for a while then move on. I think it goes beyond the fact that once the problem is not central to their lives, they put their energy in other directions.
I have several times had patients whose trich or picking treatment was successful come back months or years later for unrelated problems. When I asked how things were going with their skin or hair, they needed to be reminded that they had ever had the problem at all!
The human organism’s self protective ability to block out pain may be part of the story at least for some.
Best,
Ted
It is very encouraging to read how you don’t give up regardless of the many years fighting against this!! I recently found your blog and I find comfort and new strength in reading it! Thank you!
It’s hard. For some, they can’t help the people the way they want because they are afraid. I write on my blog and always respond to emails and try to help as many people as I can. But in real life I can’t open up about it and do what I really want. I haven’t recovered, but I’d say I’m over the worst of it. Everyone is different.
Where ARE all those Trichsters in recovery? I do know that 5 years of lapsed involvement/membership in TLC have NOT made recovery any easier. So, for whatever the reason your calling to do this work…without TLC I would never have had a second chance at Life.
Maybe we are not as vocal as we should be. Perhaps in times of recovery we just want to leave the work of helping others behind so we can feign we are n ‘recovered’. Maybe we are selfish asses. One thing I know for sure. We would be no steps
forward had it not been for you.
with abiding love, respect,
and affection,
“A”
hi all,
ive never come across this website before and i just want to say, that i developed trich in 2007 and i’ve had it on and off for two years. it got so bad that i didn’t even realise that i was pulling from my sclap until i looked down on my lap.
Anyhow, what i want to say is that since November 23rd 2009, i have been completely pull free, and i hope for the rest of my life.
So any trich sufferers on here want any support or want to know my story and how i stopped then please message me
i HATE what happened to me so i want to help people with trich
x
it makes me feel so happy to hear that there are people who have recovered from trich. it truely gives me motivation. do you know of any ways that i can gradually stop pulling?