[spence210]

I am very new to psychology and to the idea of talking to others about me, but the quasi-anonymity really helps. This may sound weird, but now that I questioned myself I'd like to know what y'all think.
I like to stroke my beard. While doing so I'll find a hair and play with it individually until it falls out. If it doesn't come out immediately I'll twist it or yank on it until it does come out. I probably go through 10 to 30 hairs an hour (when I'm not doing something w/ my hands) stopping only when my chin is numb from the little pains. generally they are all healthy hairs, so they bleed a little when plucked. And yes, I do go through a lot of beards. Do you think this is si or just a nervous habit?

[darkeyes]

Maybe it is both, but have you ever considered talking to a mental health professional, even your GP for referral?
I notice my husband does things or has habits and doesn't even realize it anymore, but in his case it may be unnoticed by him cause apparently he isn't causing pain to himself, but he constantly strokes his face, and bites the inside of his mouth, looks like he is frowning as he twists his face, he didn't realize till he saw himself on one of his tapes he made and was sitting off to the side, he also goes around snorting and has done it so much we tell him to blow his nose, but again he doesn't even realize it anymore.
So yes, this can be a habit, OCD and SI? I am not sure if it is SI but then I am not too much into that disorder, haven't learned enough about it to say if you have a form of SI.
The best way is like I mentioned, talk to a professional about it, there are ways of learning distraction type exercises with the help of a therapist that can be of help. I forgot to mention, when my husband is nervous, I can tell when I see him twirling his hair, the way a toddler might do when they are scared or feel insecure when their mom leaves to go somewhere. If your breard stroking/pulling hairs seem to be during stress, you may be able to find out if there is a specific thing that is stressing you and then if you see a therapist they may be able to help you short circuit the pattern, again I wish you luck and drop by and share what comes of this, welcome to the forums

Take care,
DE

In giving advice seek to help, not please your friend
SOLON
<div class="foot">(Edited by darkeyes on 07/22/04 10:49 AM.)</div>

[shakes]

Spence,
I suffer from something that is very similar to what you are going through. I pull out my eyebrows. The act of hair pulling is called trichtillomania. I believe it is connected with a from of OCD. I have been told by past T's that I would have to go to a behaviorist in order to stop pulling because, at least for me, it is fueled by lots of anxiety. Unfortunately now I cannot stop.
On the positive side with some people Prozac has been shown to help stop/control the behavior. It did not work for me, but if you have a T then maybe you could talk to he/she about it.

Stay strong,
Jessica

<font color=blue> You are in this snowglobe. It is encovered in glass and secure. But one day someone comes and shakes the globe and the pieces go flying everywhere. Now they will eventually settle but they won't be the way they were before and they can never be that way again. </font color=blue>