My Bad Hair Life
I don’t remember exactly how or why it started. I was in the tenth grade when I began methodically pulling out my hair strand by strand. I’d search for a strand that felt thick, coarse, kinky, and bent, as though it did not belong in my smooth mane of hair. Running my fingers through my hair, I would locate a single hair and pluck it from my head. It never hurt, at least not initially. In fact, it felt good. The sensation in relieving myself of the built up tension felt prior to pulling, the ‘pop’ that occurred when I had known I had plucked the follicle from my scalp – it felt good. Albeit, that joyous, feel-good moment was fleeting. So I did it again, and again, and again, but no long-lasting joy came of my pulling. And
…show more content…
I thought it was a curious, strange phenomenon that was unique to me. I felt alone in my behaviour. There was no way I would have ever believed that others were enacting the same strange behaviour as I. Though, I felt some comfort in this self-diagnosis too. I could attribute my behaviours to a force outside of myself – as though I couldn’t help myself, I was just ‘wired’ that way. While it was comforting to know there was a name for this struggle others and myself were faced with, I still felt alone and removed from this community of others facing trichotillomania.
Researchers have estimated the prevalence rate to be between 1-3% across the developmental lifespan. However, this is likely a modest estimate. Shame and embarrassment are among the greatest affects of this disorder, often preventing people from being ‘out’ with their disorder, or from seeking treatment. Unfortunately, not much is known about trich and there is no
…show more content…
I want to feel understood more than anything. Educate yourself about trichotillomania. I don’t want you to feel disgusted by me because I am already disgusted by my behaviour. Don’t use phrases like, “I’m so OCD” – this diminishes the very real reality of mental disorders. Don’t call me out when you catch me in the act because I already know what I am doing. If I could stop, I would. Be sensitive – navigating this terrain is like navigating land mines. I don’t know what is going to hurt me or when because some days are better than others. Please don’t offer unsolicited advice. I am not crazy - I am smart and self-aware, and I am always working towards becoming a better person, and that includes my efforts to reduce and control my urges to pull. If I feel safe enough to share my disorder with you, please don’t disclose this information to anyone else. If we are close friends, offer to help me with my hair. I can’t see the back of my head and strategically concealing my bald spots is a challenging art. If you are my lover, ask to run your fingers through my hair – it’s been so long since I’ve allowed another to play with my hair. Acknowledge my struggle and tell me I am beautiful and strong. When I’m going through a pull-free period, congratulate me when I tell you I haven’t pulled all morning, or for three days, or 1 year. It is a constant effort to fight against the urge to pull, but I am making progress. Today marks 64 days pull-free. I will never be
The texture of her hair was somehow both firm and soft, springy, with the clean, fresh scent of almonds. It was a warm black, and sunlight was caught in each kink and crinkle, so that up close there was a lot of purple and blue. I could feel how, miraculously, each lock wove itself into a flat or rounded pattern shortly after it left her scalp- a machine could not have done it with more precision- so that the “matting” I had assumed was characteristics of dreadlocks could be more accurately be described as “knitting”. (Walker 232)
...oermann et al, 2005). This has a tendency to lead to an insecure sense of one’s self. (Hoermann et al, 2005) A person with this disorder has a difficult time being reliable. This can be from constant career change, relationships and goals. These essential changes occur without any warning. (Hoermann et al, 2005)
...rrelates of Pulling in Pediatric Trichotillomania. Journal Of The American Academy Of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, 52(3), 241-249. doi:10.1016/j.jaoc.2012.12.019
Some existing Literature on Natural Hair The existing literature on ethnic and racial studies among African-Americans has focused on issues pertaining to beauty and body politics especially on natural hair. Spellers and Moffitt assert that the body politics that one assumes, guides how one relates to a particular political ideology in a particular society. Black natural hair is considered as a way by which the true identity of African women can be understood (Jacobs-Huey). It is a symbol of power among black women; it influences how people are treated by others.
Tourette’s syndrome is a disorder where the affected individual will consistently exhibit “tics”. In the majority of cases these ticks are minor in character, it may just be the urge to blink, or make certain facial gestures. Less than 15% of individuals exhibit coprolalia, which is the unwarranted exclamations of profanities or other socially forbidden remarks. Perhaps those in our generation who are aware of Tourette’s syndrome have learned its symptoms through pop culture, which has glamorized (to some extent) the more severe cases of Tourette’s syndrome in YouTube videos or the animated satire of South Park. Most with Tourette’s syndrome have been diagnosed 5-8 years in childhood and experience the waning of the number and severity of tics by the time the graduate high school. For the most part, Tourette’s syndrome alone will not prevent an individual from success in the institutions of society, as it doesn’t affect the intelligence or capability of individuals. These cases, often called pure TS cases, are usually the exception. More often than not, sufferers of Tourette’s syndrome are more limited socially by common comorbid conditions like obsessive compulsive disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorders.
“As I write this I am still amazed that one day back in 1990 when I stood in my bathroom glancing in the mirror at my hair, that plucking out just one hair, that seemed so out of place, would lead me into 10 years of slavery” (Strickland 2011). This is how Lori opens up her blog about her story of suffering from Trichotillomania. Lori discusses how it began with the o...
The nature of the disorder makes it difficult to treat, since patients are convinced that they suffer from a real and serious medical problem. Indeed, the mere su...
quire medical attention. Some cases aren't inherited and are called sporadic TS. There are no absolute figures that exist as far as the number of people in the world suffering from Tourette's because many people living with Tourette's have yet to be d
Whitbourne, S. K., & Haligan, R. P. (2013). Abnormal Psychology: Clinical Perspectives on Psychological Disorders, Seventh Edition. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill.
After finishing this book I realized that this is somewhat true. This is a disease that has been kept a secret, and those that suffer from it keep it a hidden. It is embarrassing and those that suffer from this wish not to be identified. It has become a ritual to the person; they feel if they admit that they suffer from this that they will be labeled as “crazy'; when if fact they are not. One of our family members may have it or friends, we never know, and that’s the amazing thing because we might be able to help them but they are not willing to be open about it.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a type of anxiety disorder that can be best characterized by the recurrent or disturbing thoughts that are labeled as obsessions. Sometime these obsessions can take on the form of intrusive images or the unwanted impulses. The compulsions can come from the repetitive or ritualized behaviors that a person feels driven to perform on a daily basis. The majority of people with the diagnosis of OCD can have both obsessions and compulsions, but most of the times about 20% have obsessions alone while 10% may have the compulsions alone (Goodman M.D., 2013) . Common types that have been illustrated in individual’s diagnoses with OCD can be characterized with concerns of contamination, safety or harm to themselves, unwanted acts of aggression, the unacceptable sexual or religious thoughts, and the need for symmetry or exactness. While some of the most common compulsion can be characterized as excessive cleaning, checking, ordering, and arranging rituals or the counting and repeating routines activities that are done sometimes on a daily basis multiple times in a day.
In the short story ‘growing my hair again’, the author explains how women in the African traditions are held captive by the traditional culture and their struggles to trying to break away them using the main character Nneka. In Nigeria as well as in the other parts of Africa, culture was and still is given a lot of emphasizes especially when it comes to the traditional practices and beliefs. The culture however vary from one community to the other and ranges from the rights of passage, religious beliefs to other religious practices such as offering sacrifices and the role of women in the community .Nneka was married to a rich man in traditional Nigerian community and as in other areas, women had a role of being submissive to their husbands
There have been an infinite number of highs and lows on my journey, however my Trich is something that has become a part of my person. There have been days when the though of shaving my head to put myself out of my misery seems like a tempting solution, but there have also been days where I am thankful for the lessons that Trich has given me. My self confidence has sky rocketed and my appearance is no longer a concern of mine. Yes, Trichotillomania continues to be a problem that I will probably battle for the rest of my life, but I have made friends and memories that I wouldn't trade for anything — even a full head of
Obsessive compulsive disorder is a mental illness which affects a person’s thoughts and actions. It is categorized as an anxiety disorder. People with obsessive compulsive disorder are known to have reoccurring thoughts and/or engage in the same behaviors multiple times throughout the day which they feel compelled to do. Sometimes, obsessions become disturbing images or uncontrollable impulses. A person with this disorder most often tries to get rid of obsessive thoughts by pe...
General Review: Obsessive Compulsive Part I. (Oct. 1998) Harvard Mental Health Letter, v15 I 4