[TheMajor]

I find sometimes that I can "feel" or otherwise have a sensation of specific lashes bothering me, especially when I blink (as in, not necessarily while I am touching or in some way inspecting my lashes with my fingers). I end up pulling my eyelashes until I can find the one that I "feel" and pull it out. Then, often times, I can stop. It's like when you feel an itch and are trying to scratch it, and when you find exactly where you are itching and scratch a bit, you feel better, and can stop scratching.

It's a sensation that is difficult to describe, especially when I try to explain to my boyfriend what this condition is like. He's very understanding, but he still does have trouble REALLY understanding it. But so does everyone. Not even many doctors really understand, which is part of the reason it's so hard to treat, I suppose.

I sometimes try to use the antipsychotic my psychiatrist prescribed me on an "as-needed" basis to help with agitation as a result of bipolar mood swings to help calm down my urge to pull. I'm not sure if it's really helping much, but I do think it may do a little something, especially when I'm pulling at night - if I take seroquel before going to bed, I think maybe it helps me calm down enough to get to sleep without pulling as much.

Does anyone else have any good management or treatment methods that they find help with trichotillomania?

Also, on a side note, I've just been diagnosed with lupus. I'm sure both the stress of of the condition itself as well as the medications for it probably make it even harder to manage my psychiatric conditions (trich, BPD, mild OCD, etc.).

And for more context, I pull my eyelashes, eyebrows, and scalp hair. For many years it was just my lashes and brows, but now I also pull my hair.

[FrayedEnds]

I know exactly what you're talking about. I can "feel" a specific lash that is just ...wrong. Once in a while I'll feel that way about my eyebrows too.
It only happens when I have extreme anxiety combined with depression.

[TheMajor]

I just read a little something on one of the other threads about a supplement called n-acetylcysteine. It supposedly can help with pulling (even webmd listed it as having some evidence as a potentially effective treatment for trich - though, of course, it's still not known if it REALLY is effective).

I think it's worth a shot, I'm ordering some today. Pretty sure there is a higher chance of the stuff being helpful than harmful, so why the hell not.

[TheMajor]

Also, I think that if we have a sensation of "feeling" the lashes we pull, would it be beneficial to use some kind of numbing medication (like some kind of prescription eye drops) to help alleviate the sensation? Would it make us stop "feeling" those lashes and thus not have as intense of an urge to pull?

I would like to try this, but my psychiatrist is really not very cooperative as far as experimenting with treatment options. In fact, he wants to have me on as little medication as possible (which in theory, sounds great, but in practice, is not great for someone with as many co-morbid conditions as myself).

Hopefully I can eventually find a better psychiatrist who would be more willing to try new methods of treatment, even if the evidence for them is not completely convincing - I'd rather try something that is not likely to hurt me but may have the slightest chance to help me, than nothing at all.

[FrayedEnds]

I consider myself as having very very minor trich issues, but what I found to work for me is my 'magic' mascara. Obviously it isn't changing much, but that sensation of feeling wrong doesn't register, so I forget to think about it.

[Grey Matter]

I know what you're talking about, my lashes are the first things I go to pull because they don't feel right. Or one feels "sore", even though it really isn't.

For me, I bought an eyelash "comb" (about a dollar) and when I fell the one lash is wrong, I find a mirror and comb them out and usually I feel better. Especially when I can see nothing is "wrong".

I have an autoimmune disease, too (Adult Onset Still's) and if you're on a steroid treatment, it may make it worse. It has for me.