Why is trichotillomania a mental disorder?

What is trichotillomania? Trichotillomania (often abbreviated as TTM) is a mental health disorder where a person compulsively pulls out or breaks their own hair. This condition falls under the classification of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).


Is trichotillomania a mental disorder?

Trichotillomania (trik-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh), also called hair-pulling disorder, is a mental disorder that involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows or other areas of your body, despite trying to stop.

What is the root cause of trichotillomania?

Causes of trichotillomania

your way of dealing with stress or anxiety. a chemical imbalance in the brain, similar to obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) changes in hormone levels during puberty.


What happens in the brain with trichotillomania?

In people with trichotillomania, brain imaging studies have shown abnormalities in activity in certain regions of the brain, including areas involved in regulating impulses and habits, emotional processing, and reward processing. Neuroimaging research also points to abnormal activity in those with OCD.

Is trichotillomania caused by trauma?

We can conclude that trauma may play a role in development of both trichotillomania and skin picking. Increased duration of trichotillomania or skin picking was correlated with decreased presence of post-traumatic stress symptoms.


Trichotillomania Explained | 5 minute Mental Health Documentary



What part of the brain controls trichotillomania?

The results of the analysis, published in Brain Imaging and Behaviour in June, show that patients with trichotillomania have increased thickness in regions of the frontal cortex involved in suppression of motor responses: the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and other nearby brain regions.

Who is most affected by trichotillomania?

People typically develop "trich" around age 12, and 75 percent of those who have it are female, according to research findings. Their compulsive hair pulling often results in a "thin" appearance on the scalp, says Mouton-Odum. Some people also pluck other hairy areas, such as their eyebrows, eyelashes or body hair.

Is trichotillomania a manic disorder?

Bipolar disorder falls under the category of mood disorders while trichotillomania falls under the category of Obsessive Compulsive and Related disorders.


How serious is trichotillomania?

Trichotillomania is a mental health condition where you compulsively pull out your own hair. It often has severe negative effects on your mental health and well-being when it happens in your adolescent, teen and adult years. However, this condition is treatable.

Are you born with trichotillomania?

So, is trichotillomania inherited? Yes, it can be, but other factors also contribute to the condition. As research and studies continue, understanding of the causes of trichotillomania and other mental health disorders will increase and improve prevention and treatment options.

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 are 3 symptoms of trichotillomania?

A person with trichotillomania may experience the following behavioral and physical symptoms:
  • repetitive pulling of their hair, often without any awareness.
  • a sense of relief after pulling out hair.
  • inability to stop hair pulling, despite repeated attempts to stop.
  • anxiety and stress related to hair pulling.


Is trichotillomania an OCD or anxiety?

Trichotillomania (pronounced trik-o-till-o-MAY-nee-uh), also referred to as “hair-pulling disorder,” is a mental disorder classified under Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders and involves recurrent, irresistible urges to pull hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelids, and other areas of the body, despite repeated ...

What category does trichotillomania fall under?

Diagnostic Criteria

Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling Disorder) is listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fifth Edition (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA], 2013) under the new category of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.


Is trichotillomania considered an addiction?

Trichotillomania has also been linked to impulsive behavior and sensation seeking, which are both often present in substance use disorders. Trichotillomania itself has been considered a form of addiction, as those with trichotillomania may experience withdrawal or difficulty stopping hair-pulling behaviors.

Is trichotillomania related to schizophrenia?

Recurrent hair pulling resulting in hair loss, in the absence of a medical or another mental disorder is a diagnostic feature of trichotillomania. It is commonly seen in depression and many other psychiatric disorders. Trichotillomania rarely occurs as a co morbid condition in patients with schizophrenia.

Why is trichotillomania difficult to treat?

Because the picking and pulling actually serve a purpose. This is why the behaviors can be so difficult to stop. A number of studies have found that some individuals with BFRBs have difficulty regulating their emotions.


How common is trichotillomania in the world?

How Common Is Trichotillomania? Trichotillomania is not as uncommon as it would seem. Approximately 1 in 50 people experience trichotillomania in their lifetime. Often, those who struggle with the condition keep it hidden as much as possible by covering the areas of the body that are affected.

What is the best medication for trichotillomania?

SSRIs and clomipramine are considered first-line in TTM. In addition, family members of TTM patients are often affected by obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders. Other drugs used in the treatment of TTM are lamotrigine, olanzapine, N-Acetylcysteine, inositol, and naltrexone.

Which are the two types of trichotillomania?

There are two types of trichotillomania. One is called automatic pulling and the other is called focused pulling.


Does trichotillomania release dopamine?

In fact, that same article cited research studies showing that hair pullers experienced a rush of dopamine, the brain's pleasure chemical.

Does trichotillomania run in families?

A new study suggests mutations in a gene called SLITKR1 may play a role in the development of trichotillomania in some families. The mental disorder causes people to compulsively pull their hair out, resulting in noticeable hair losshair loss and bald spots.

Is trichotillomania a form of OCD?

Trichotillomania and skin picking are often misdiagnosed as OCD because they involve compulsive behaviors. However, trichotillomania and skin picking generally lack significant obsessional thoughts and do not appear to respond to traditional OCD treatments.


What treatment has the highest success rate for trichotillomania?

Research has found Habit Reversal Training, a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), to be very effective for treating trichotillomania. It is the treatment of choice for this condition.

Is trichotillomania a spectrum?

Co-occurring Conditions

Trichotillomania is on the obsessive-compulsive spectrum, which means that it shares many symptoms of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), such as compulsive counting, checking, or washing.
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