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Oud 29 april 2003, 12:29   #1
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Post ABCNEWS.com : Q&A: Filmmaker Jennifer Raikes on 'Trich'


Hope for Hair Pullers?
Q&A: Filmmaker Jennifer Raikes on 'Trich'

April 28 — Why would someone deliberately pull out their hair, strand by strand?

It's called trichotillomania — or "trich" for short — a disorder that affects some 4 million women and 2 million men. The condition is chronic and there is no cure.

"The emotional impact is very deep," says New Yorker and filmmaker Jennifer Raikes, who has produced a documentary about trich. "People feel very ashamed of their pulling."

Raikes, who suffers from a relatively mild form of the disorder, is president of the non-profit Trichotillomania Learning Center.

The following discussion is based on questions submitted by 20/20 viewers.

------------------------------------------

Moderator
Jennifer, welcome. Thanks for joining us.

Can you tell us about your own experience with trich?

Jennifer Raikes
I've been a lash and brow puller since I was about 9 years old. I've been involved with the Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC) which is a national non-profit organization that helps people with trich. I have run a weekly support group for hair pullers for the last seven years. And I just completed a documentary on the subject of trich.

When I was child with trich, it was a very intense experience that created deep feelings of self-consciousness, frustration and a sense of being alone or weird because I didn't know that anyone else suffered from this problem.

That was in the early '80s, when I was first pulling — a time when there was almost no information available on the condition at all. It wasn't until I was in my 20s that I learned help was available and that others shared this problem which came as a great relief.

I have been able to find a great deal of recovery from trich and haven't had a noticeable bald spot in my eyelashes or eyebrows in the last seven years — so I'd like people to know that recovery is possible.

Moderator
Is trich hereditary?

Jennifer Raikes
It might be at least partially hereditary. We don't conclusively know the answer to that yet. Dr. Carol Novak is currently doing a twins study to try to answer that question.

In my own family, trich would appear to be hereditary, since my mother and sister both share a similar form of trich to mine.

But most of the hair-pullers I know don't have an immediate relative with trich.

Moderator
Is the condition more common in certain age groups?

Jennifer Raikes
Trich can start at any age. It tends to start most frequently at about age 12 or 13. It tends to be a chronic problem that may come and go but often stays with a person throughout one's life if it's not treated — and sometimes, even if it is.

Moderator
How many people suffer from trich?

Jennifer Raikes
Studies show that approximately 1 in 50 people have experienced trich in their lifetime. Like other similar problems, such as nail biting and skin picking, there is a great range of severity. Some people may pull occasionally and create small, bare patches while others pull chronically and create total baldness.

Moderator
Sue says: "My 11-year-old daughter pulls from her eyebrows and lashes only. I seem to get the impression that most people go the scalp route or the eyebrow/eyelash route. Am I wrong? Do people do both?"

Jennifer Raikes
People certainly can do both. Personally, I've always been a lash/brow puller and have never had the urge to pull my head hair. That's not uncommon.

People with trich pull all hair — their head hair, eyelashes, eyebrows, arm hair, body hair, pubic hair. Scalp hair is the most commonly-pulled area.

Moderator
Merilee writes: "Just wondering, is there any evidence linking a hormonal imbalance to trich? I seem to pull much more around 'that time of the month,' and think it is interesting that average age of onset coincides with puberty."

Jennifer Raikes
I think that's very interesting too! I know that Dr. Nancy Keuthen at Massachusetts General Hospital has studied the correlation of menstruation and hair pulling. But we don't know yet what the correlations are.

I have known people who have pulled more when pregnant. But I have also known people who have pulled less when pregnant. So it is intriguing, but as far as I know, we don't have an answer yet.

Moderator
Tim writes: "Are there doctors who specialize in treating trich? Many of the doctors in our area have not even heard of it."

Jennifer Raikes
Yes, there are doctors who specialize in treating trich, but far too few. TLC offers referrals to any treatment providers in your local area who have experience treating trich.

If you cannot find a doctor in your area with experience treating trich, I recommend finding someone who you like and who is willing to learn and work with you to understand and treat the disorder. But experience in treating the condition is obviously preferable.

TLC's Web site is http://www.trich.org. Or you can call: 831.457.1004.

Moderator
A question from Frank: "Any theories as to why it is more common in females than males?"

Jennifer Raikes
Unfortunately, there hasn't been enough research yet to know the answer. We desperately need more funding and interest in research.

It is not uncommon for certain disorders to have an unbalanced gender ratio. Right now we don't know precisely how different the gender imbalance in trich is. But certainly, in terms of those coming for treatment, there are many more women than men.

Some studies have shown that in childhood the ratio between boys and girls is much more even than in adulthood.

Moderator
Kim says: "I have lived with trich for 33 years and I wear a wig. Have you met very many people that don't try to stop pulling anymore and just live with trich as I do?"

Jennifer Raikes
Yes. Many of us — especially the adults who have lived for many years without any information or good treatment resources — have given up hope of stopping and have learned to live with the disorder.

Of course, if you are happy that way, that's wonderful. But if trich is still disrupting your life, there is much better information and treatment available now than there has been in the past, though it is still far from perfect.

I also know many people who have pulled for 30 years or more who have found recovery.

Moderator
Claudia writes: "It sounded on the show like people never really recover from trich. Is it hopeless? Are people who pull like the women on the show stuck wearing wigs for the rest of their lives?"

Jennifer Raikes
I was so impressed with the women on the show, but there was not a lot of focus on recovery.

I am personally very hopeful about recovery, especially as I have achieved a great deal of control over my pulling, and I know many people who have done the same.

Unfortunately, there's not one step to getting better from trich; there's not one treatment that cures trich. I do believe through various forms of therapy and awareness we can gain control over our pulling. But for some people, we don't seem to have the answer yet and it can be very frustrating.

Recovery can be a process, and it's not always easy to pinpoint exactly what has helped. I believe what has helped me most is achieving greater awareness about my condition — some people would call that "mindfulness."

By greater awareness, I mean: Where are my hands? Why am I pulling? When am I pulling? What thoughts might be contributing to either making me pull or stopping myself from pulling? Basically, you can't stop doing something if you don't know you're doing it.

I came to greater awareness by educating myself about trich, reading as much as I could find (there are now some very helpful books and articles available) and I formed a weekly support group which has helped immensely in creating both self acceptance and accountability. And I used various behavior therapy methods throughout my day.

That said, there is certainly an element of mystery. Trich often waxes and wanes. I hit a time in my early 20s when the urge to pull wasn't as powerful which allowed me to start using these tools more effectively. For some people, medication helps lessen the urge to pull, allowing other methods of treatment to be used more effectively.

TLC provides guides to treatment written by our scientific advisory board that describe in more detail what types of treatment helped the majority of people.

I also explain my own story in more detail in the upcoming issue of Psychology Today and in my documentary, Bad Hair Life.

Zie hieronder voor het vervolg:
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Laatst gewijzigd door Webmaster; 29 april 2003 om 12:43
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Oud 29 april 2003, 12:40   #2
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Moderator
What other resources can you recommend?

Jennifer Raikes
The TLC Web site is a great place to start educating yourself about trich. There are many articles posted on the Web site and books and videos available.

The Hair-Pulling Problem by Dr. Fred Penzel is an excellent, quite comprehensive overview of trich as well as a self-help guide for behavior therapy.

The Hair-Pulling "Habit" and You by Ruth Golomb and Sherrie Vavrichek is an excellent self-help book for children.

Help for Hair Pullers by Dr. Nancy Keuthen is another excellent overview and self-help guide.

Those are the books I'd recommend. My documentary is also available on the Web site.

Moderator
Jennifer, thanks for joining us. Do you have any final thoughts to add?

Jennifer Raikes
I would like to leave people with the thought that though this is a very frustrating disorder that affects us deeply, there are more sources of help every day and it is possible to control pulling and live a happy and fulfilled life.

So don't despair. Get out there and educate yourself as best you can. There is a wonderful community of people with this disorder who can help.
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Copyright © 2003 ABCNEWS Internet Ventures.

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You can be helping many people, but if you are not helping yourself,
you have missed the one person you were born to heal.'

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-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Laatst gewijzigd door Webmaster; 29 april 2003 om 13:01
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