TRICHOTILLMONAIA (HAIR-PULLING) DISORDER
GENERAL INFORMATION
This is a disorder which involves tearing the hair. Tearing the hair causes a pleasant sensation so it becomes continuous, which results in a noticeable loss.
The act of plucking the hair is usually accompanied by some emotional state such as: anxiety, boredom or tension and precedes a sensation of pleasure or relief when the action is specified.
The most frequent locations for plucking are the scalp, eyebrows and eyelids, generating consequences such as alopecia or the absence of eyelashes or eyebrows. Some people may deny their behavior to others. Most people with trichotillomania also have one or more repetitive behaviors centered on the body, such as pinching the skin, biting the nails and nibbling the lips.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What other behavior is related to this disorder?
Trichophagia, which has to do with eating the hair. This in turn causes other situations which are harmful to the individual such as anemia, abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting, intestinal obstruction and even perforation of the intestine.
What causes this disorder?
It originates with intense states of nervousness, stress and anxiety, and tends to manifest in people with various emotional problems. It is also related to the presence of an Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.
At what age does this disorder begin?
The beginning of the activity of plucking the hair in the trichotillomania usually coincides with or follows the arrival of puberty.
OUR TREATMENT MODEL
CADE offers a multidisciplinary treatment according to the characteristics and needs of the patient that is based on the patient´s diagnosis and an individual intervention plan.
A psychological or psychiatric disorder generally has a genetic or biological origin detonated by difficult and early or current traumatic experiences that lead the individual to become ill. Therefore, the clinical intervention in these disorders necessitates the multidisciplinary work of psychiatry, psychology, medicine, nutrition and complementary therapies. The treatment can be outpatient, inpatient or semi-inpatient based.