Daughter Hair Pulling

[jaysharp1]

I have a question in regards to my Daughter. Since about 8th grade she is developed a conditions of pulling her hair. I believe its called "trichotillomania". She feels she is not suffering from depression but there are some underlying conditions. She is now in 11 grade and I have noticed balding as a result. Any advice on how to get her to stop? Gone on way too long!

Thank you,

Jason Sharp

[Wowzerzzz]

I think the first thing is to figure out what is the underlying reason for the hair pulling. She may not feel like she has depression, but many depressed teens do not think they're depressed. Or it may be anxiety, PTSD, etc. Then I think a solution may be to teach your daughter to consciously think about her hair pulling as she is doing it (a lot of people get to the point where the action is unconscious). Then she should identifying her emotions at that time and figure out specifically why she wants to pull her hair. Instead, have her do something healthier, such as write her feelings down or use a breathing technique. I think maintaining a positive relationship with your daughter so you are in a good position to have this conversation is also important. I'm not a mental health professional though, just a good ole psych major