Is trichotillomania a coping mechanism?
Hair pulling is a coping mechanism for stress, anxiety, boredom and other emotions. The behavior is often trancelike – characterized by a compulsive urge to pull out hair on the head, face or other parts of the body. It is a disorder medically known as trichotillomania.
What causes trichotillomania in a child?
The cause of trichotillomania is not known. For some children, trichotillomania becomes damaging and very difficult to control. Hair pulling can occur anytime but may become worse in stressful situations. Most children with trichotillomania feel shame, embarrassment or guilt about their hair loss.
Is Onychotillomania a mental illness?
Onychotillomania represents a behavioral pattern characterized by repetitive self-induced trauma of the nail apparatus. It is categorized among obsessive-compulsive psychiatric disorders.
How can I help my child with trichotillomania?
This chat inspired us to write down a few tips for parents with children with hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting or other BFRBs.
- Don’t say “stop it”
- Don’t stay in the dark!
- Don’t blame your kiddo.
- Don’t be preoccupied with pulling or picking.
- Don’t praise the progress.
Is trichotillomania related to ADHD?
As such, trichotillomania is regarded by some researchers as a ‘body focused repetitive behavior’. Trichotillomania can occur in conjunction with a variety of conditions including depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
Do children grow out of trichotillomania?
The severity of a hair-pulling habit can vary greatly: some children engage in it for only a short period, and others go on to develop a severe habit. The formal name for hair-pulling is trichotillomania, though this diagnosis is usually not made until children are older as many toddlers grow out of the habit.
Can Onychotillomania be cured?
There is no evidence-based treatment for the condition, and it can be highly resistant to both dermatological and psychological interventions.
Why is my child picking his nails?
Some people might pick at their nails when they feel nervous or stressed, while others do so habitually without realizing it. While nail picking and biting are often associated with children, these behaviors can extend into adulthood.
Can kids outgrow trichotillomania?
Baby Trich may be a self-limiting behavior that some babies and toddlers will grow out of, while others may not.
What medication works for trichotillomania?
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) Several studies have examined SSRIs in treating trichotillomania and skin picking. The SSRIs include: fluoxetine (Prozac), fluvoxamine (Luvox), sertraline (Zoloft), citalopram (Celexa), escitalopram (Lexapro), and paroxetine (Paxil).
What do you need to know about trichotillomania in children?
From a physical standpoint, the main symptom is the appearance of patches of baldness on the head. This symptom matches up with a child’s typical hair pulling tendencies; while some kids may pull hair from other parts of the body such as eyebrows, eyelashes, arms, or legs, the most common hair pulling area is the scalp.
How does the NIMH trichotillomania severity scale work?
Clinician Measures of TTM (Clinic Sample) The NIMH Trichotillomania Severity Scale (NIMH-TSS) [18] is a semi-structured clini- cian-rated scale comprised of five items that assess time spent pulling in the past week, time spent pulling the previous day, resistance to pulling, distress, and interference.
How is trichotillomania similar to male hair pulling?
This distinction is important to note for parents of male hair pulling sufferers who may point to this lifetime gender discrepancy prevalence as a means to feel further isolated. The signs of trichotillomania in children are similar to the signs of trichotillomania in adults. That said, the signs do vary from child to child.