For some time now, I’ve been wanting to share my journey with trichotillomania, a mental disorder involving compulsive hair pulling. Sometimes shortened to “trich,” it’s a condition that can be hard to talk about, as it can be shocking and confusing for both the person going through it and the people around them.
When I learned the term in my 30s, more than 20 years after I first experienced the condition, I started to understand that hair pulling was not an innate problem with me, but an attempt to feel more in control in a stressful environment. I hope by sharing my story, I can play a part in breaking the social stigma around the condition.
