OCD and Trichotillomania Resources Online - Add yours here!

OCD and Trichotillomania Resources Online - Add yours here!


/daynnight

http://www.rcpsych.ac.uk/mentalhealt...edisorder.aspx -
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder - Royal College of Psychiatrists

http://www.brainphysics.com/hair-pulling.php - About Trichotillomania

http://www.brainphysics.com/ocd.php - About OCD

http://www.brainphysics.com/stories.php - What is it really like to have OCD? Read personal stories about real people with obsessions and compulsions.

/daynnight

Hi Everyone,
there a new book called "Life In Rewind" by Michael Jenike & Edward Zines for OCD sufferers. There also another website www.OCDGETHELP.org I hope this helps.

Don't forget the OC Foundation:

Obsessive Compulsive Foundation

http://www.trich.org/
Trichotillomania Leaning Centre

http://www.skinpick.com/
Dermatillomania/Skin Picking

My T uses CBT to help OCD. This link has great free worksheets that can help:

http://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/freedownloads2.htm

I have OCD, I'm really not sure sure how bad I am, but I like to talk about the things that I do obsessively. I'm always checking on things over and over to make surethat I did it right the first time. For instance, if I make an entry into my checkbook register I may go back as many as four or five times to make sure that I didn't make any mistakes. Usually there are no mistakes. This is what drives me crazy. Another bad habit that I have is if someone put something away from me, I'll have to go back and doublecheck that they put it in the right place, in the right position. If I'm talking to someone on the phone after I hang up, sometimes I'll sit there and worry if I said the wrong thing. Or if I placed an order on the phone or on the Internet I may have to go back several times to make sure that that I didn't make any mistakes. If I don't understand something I'll have to dig and dig until I find an answer, where other people would not worry about this, especially if it's not that important. I would like to hear from some other people that going through the same problems, and what they do to deal with it.

yep im the very same feel the constant need 2 check things especially on line and then i get paranoid that iv done something illegal its getting worse i actually feel like im losing my mind

trichworld.ning.com
Has anyone visited this site?

I have OC, before i leave my house everyday, i check my door lock about five times to be sure that it is looked. Even though i kinda have an idea that it is looked the third time, i still go back two more times anyway.
I also have to get a detailed explanation on things that i am interested in several times, i dont know why i keep going back, i am happy to know that i am not alone.

Books for Repetitive Unwanted Thoughts:
"The Imp of the Mind" by Lee Baer, PhD
"White Bears and Other Unwanted Thoughts" by Daniel M. Wegner

I got these both from Amazon for pretty cheap.

I have ocd too and the first counselor i went to as I had the check and recheck oven off door locked etc, over and over and over again, she broke me of the habit by suggesting ibuy a small pocketsize notebook and write down on one side the bad habits and along the top say, the dates, when I checked each ITEM ONE TIME i was to put a check mark in appropriate spot in notebook that way when I left and thought OMG Did I turn off the stove, I could check for the check mark and that eased my mind, woujld not have marked it if I DIDNT turn off the stove, eventually didn't need the notebook anymore and only checked things once after doing them, i was shocked but it really worked.

Jeffrey Schwartz has a GREAT BOOK called Brain Lock that helped me a lot!

Claire Weekes has several books... I like Hope and Help For your nerves. Talk about comforting!!!

Richard Carlson's book You can be happy no matter what is far from some cheesy book.. it has excellent tips to deal with depression and anxiety!!!!

These books may not be online but I know that portions or exceprt of Schwartz book are... hope this helps

are there any resources for people in ontatio canada?

your quote about religion from Harris does not help anyone on this site

Thank you so much for this sticky thread, it's very useful to share together all resources, both books & sites for OCD here. I gathered a lot of wonderful resources here that I'm gonna check at my leisure... & I really liked most the site of free downloadable papers for CBT work, that's something I've never thought I could ever find on the net & the books seem really useful but I don't know how to get them since I'm living in Egypt, & OCD books wouldn't probably be sold here Besides, ordering them from Amazon for shipping to Egypt would be awfully expensive

Hi, I am a 41 year old Mother of 4 daughters, ages 9,10,16,18. I am looking for help in dealing with one of my daughters diagnosis of Trichatillamania, to start, i live in a small town in Texas where no one I have ever met has heard of this or has known anyone with it, except for on cruddy tv talk shows, any and all help or personal story on how to deal with this is appreciated.

I run a site called OCD Dave at ocddave.com.
I'd recommend Judith Rapoport's The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing and Mark Crawford's The Obsessive-Compulsive Trap as good book reads.
Dave

Mark Freeman's video series of OCD tips: Beat Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) Tips - YouTube

Deep breathing exercises work for calming anxiety of trichotillomania urges. Also I do physical exercise every morning to avoid thinking about pulling my hair out. I'm still coping with trichotillomania for about 10 years now. I have more tips that helps me to avoid trichotillomania during the day, if anyone one need tips let me know. I hope this helps.

Lee Baer also wrote "Getting Control" whihc is an excellent self help book on basic OCD.

You can download the assessment tool, called the YBOCS here:

http://www.stlocd.org/handouts/YBOC-...-Checklist.pdf

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder does not have to affect a person for their entire life provided they seek the appropriate counseling treatment for the problem. The prognosis for coping with and eliminating OCD is very positive with treatment.

Just wanted to post this for ocd sufferers.

Practice clearing your mind. If you successfully achieve not thinking anything then you have also successfully achieved not "having" ocd at that time. Also, by the way, no one "has" ocd.... ocd is entirely subjective and does not exist in physical form. It is a mind addiction. It's a habit.

A lot of martial arts teachers teach to clear your mind. This helps you be more natural and fluid. Drink lots of water and stay away from alcohol. Try giving your body a cleanse too and look up healthy foods to eat.

Hope this helps and make sure to take care of yourself. Your health should be the most important thing to you. Also, remember that the human mind is incredibly powerful and has a fascinating ability to heal itself and the body. You can heal. You can regenerate. You can get better. It takes time but in the end it's worth it. Exercise kindness and courage.

Hope this helps

Tips for dealing with Trichotillomania
I have had Trich since age 11, I'm now 23 and I've learned a lot over the years. One thing I will say is that not everyone will respond to certain treatments/medicine the same way. This is why Trich is so difficult to treat and is keeping doctors puzzled to this day.

First off, I will say that I have found a medicine that works really well for me! It's called Naltrexone.
I take it in a low dose, and it works by blocking the opioid receptors in the brain that cause "pleasure signals"...aka when you pull and it feels good and addicting.
Naltrexone is thought to work especially for those with Trich who pull because they like the feeling. Not to say it can't work for those who do it from anxiety and whatnot, because I have that too. And we all know that once you pull long enough, our brains are wrongly wired to get pleasure from it.
** Other options for treatment you may not have tried are the N-AC supplement, and Inositol (a vitamin B) powder in high doses.
N-AC stands for N-AcetylCysteine.
Note that Inositol must be taken in the powder form (you can get large bottles of it online) because otherwise you'd need to take TONS of the pills per day.
Read more on treatment options at BFRB dot com (this is the site for all picking/pulling disorders)

Tips to stop pulling

1. When in an area that you tend to pull the most (usually the couch, in bed, favorite relaxation spot at home) keep hats nearby. I mean literally within arms reach. I keep a hat in my bedside drawer, under my pillow, in the cushion of the couch. We have to be strategic in fighting this. When we get into our pulling trances, oftentimes it's nearly impossible to break free for long enough to physically get up and grab a hat. You could also try putting a note posted on the wall saying "STOP" in the area you tend to stare at when you get in a pull trance.
2. CHANGE YOUR ROUTINES. At home this is a big one. Don't go and sit down in the same spot you do every day that you always end up pulling at. Try keeping yourself busy with multiple sensory stimulations at once. For example, instead of cleaning your room in silence (which leads to pulling) play music, a podcast or audiobook.
If it's time to watch your tv show, put a hat on, and grab a fidget toy or put on a pair of gloves BEFORE sitting down. We can't always get out of the cycle once we fall into it, but giving yourself obstacles is a great start.
3. Try using the nail polish that tastes bitter. It's used to help stop biting nails, but as most tricksters do, I put my hands to my mouth when biting off the follicle. The taste may deter you.
4. If your balding is getting bad, try consulting a trusted hairdresser to figure out your options. I KNOW this one is SO hard to do. It's embarrassing to show others your hair. Thankfully, I have a hairdresser who actually has Trich herself, and she works in a salon that's totally sectioned off from other people so I don't have to worry about others watching. I opted to get a specialized sew in extensions (weave). This method is very pricy, I spend $360 every 8-9 weeks to get it re-done. Plus the occasional cost of purchasing new hair. My extensions are sewn in to the back crown of my head, and prevents me from pulling in that area it covers. My hair in that trouble spot has grown about an inch per month since doing this! However, the downside is that you have to strongly combat pulling in the areas that are left....I've thinned the front of my hair quite a bit. But overall I'd say it's worth it. Plus I don't have to stress about having bald spots...the hair extensions cover everything. It's also a HUGE confidence boost to have thick beautiful hair!

5. Try going to Sally's beauty store (or a place like it) and picking up a bottle of root cover up spray. It's about $5 and it's essentially temporary hair color in a can. I spray this directly to my scalp in places that are a bit thin. They come in brown, black, blonde, and red colors at the store I go to. There's positives and negatives to this...
Pros: your spots are covered. When you go to pull, you often get color transfer on your hands, for me this is often a visual reminder that I'm pulling and shouldn't be, and I'll often stop....Buuuuuuttt....
Cons: if you have little self control, you can be left with the temporary color all over your hands, under fingernails, and on your lips if you keep pulling. It also can drip occasionally with sweat if you spray it too close to the front of your scalp. I typically use it for the middle/sides of the crown, and it works great. It also will even stay after washing your hair if you don't scrub your scalp excessively in the shower.

6. Play with silly putty, sculpting clay, make jewelry, knit, paint, sew, draw, keep your hands busy at ALL COSTS! Jewlery making for me is especially good because I just love focusing in on tiny little things and making them perfect. I truly believe Trich is linked to some sort of perfectionism based OCD/anxiety.

7. Chew sugar free gum when sitting around. Your less likely to pull and feel the urge to put your hair follicle in your mouth.

8. DRINK LOTS OF WATER! Seriously, this sounds stupid, but I keep one of those offbrand Yeti cups filled with ice water with me all the time, and whenever I get the urge, taking a drink of water can help. Keep yourself hydrated and you will find that you are more clear minded and less likely to zone out.

And lastly, try prayer!!! What have you got to lose by reaching out to God and asking for his help? If your not a believing person, that's okay, but if you do believe in God, why not try it!
Daily time spent reading the Bible, devotions, and prayer are beneficial just as meditation is! Everyone knows we need a calming activity in our daily routine.

Keep fighting, never give up! One day there will be answers, and people will better understand our struggle. Until then, never stop searching for what works for you. I promise you, it's the best thing you can do for yourself.