(TTM), or "trich" as it is commonly known, is an impulse control disorder characterized by the repeated urge to pull out scalp hair, eyelashes, facial hair, nose hair, pubic hair, eyebrows or other body hair. Trichotillomania is classified in the DSM-IV as an impulse control disorder that is not elsewhere classified under another axis or disorder. It is classified in this manner to control diagnoses of TTM. It is an Axis I disorder.
The name derives from Greek tricho- (hair), + mania.
A French physician, Francois Hallopeau, described Trichotillomania clinically for the first time in 1889.
Characteristics
Individuals with Trichotillomania can live relatively normal lives; however, they may have bald spots on their head, among their eyelashes, pubic hair, or brows. An additional psychological effect can be low self-esteem, often associated with being shunned by peers and the fear of socializing due to their appearance and to the negative attention they may receive. Some people with TTM wear hats or wigs, or style their hair in an effort to avoid such attention. For many there seems to be a strong stress-related component. In low-stress environments, some exhibit no symptoms (known as 'pulling') whatsoever. This 'pulling' often resumes upon leaving this environment.
Many clinicians classify TTM as habit behaviour, in the same family as nail biting (onychophagia) or compulsive skin picking (dermatotillomania). These disorders are a cross between mental disorders, such as OCD obsessive compulsive disorder because the sight or feel of a body part causes the individual anxiety, and physical disorders such as Stereotypic Movement Disorder because the person performs repetitive movements without being bothered by or completely aware of them. The current classification of trich as an impulse disorder with pyromania, pathological gambling and kleptomania, has been called into question as inadequate and in need of revision. People with TTM are no more likely to have significant personality disorders than anyone else. Like people with other OCD-related disorders (for example, body dysmorphic disorder, impulse control disorder, kleptomania, Tourette's syndrome), people with TTM have a reduced ability to transport serotonin at the presynaptic level. Anxiety, depression, as well as frank OCDs are more frequently encountered in people with TTM. People with TTM may also eat/chew the roots of the hair that they pull, referred to as trichophagia. In extreme cases this can lead to Rapunzel syndrome, and even death. Some individuals with TTM may feel they are the only person with this problem due to low rates of reportage.
Treatment
Trichotillomania is a chronic problem, meaning that although one can recover from it, there is currently no cure. It can be stubborn, but with proper treatment and persistence, picking and/or pulling hairs can be greatly reduced and even brought under control (often called "hibernation"). Clinicians who are specialized in treating this problem are not always easy to find, but do have the techniques and training to bring about substantial improvement.
Behavioural
Habit Reversal Training or HRT, has been shown to be a successful adjunct to pharmacotherapy as a way to treat TTM. HRT was developed by Dr. Prasandy Azrin and colleagues and first published in 1973 in an article titled Habit Reversal: A Method of Eliminating Nervous Habits and Tics. The treatment focused on getting patients to increase their awareness of their behaviour by recording and learning as much as possible about when, where, and how it occurred, and how to know ahead of time when it would occur. They were next trained to focus on, and reduce, the tension that preceded the pulling. Finally, they were taught to perform a muscular movement that was inconspicuous, that was the opposite of and incompatible with the behaviour they wished to eliminate. Many patients who pull their hair don’t realize that they are doing this; it is a conditioned response. With Habit Reversal Training, doctors train the individual to learn to recognize their impulse to pull and also teach them to redirect this impulse. As a part of the behavioural record-keeping component of HRT, patients are often instructed to keep a journal of their hair-pulling episodes. They may be asked to record the date, time, location, and number of hairs pulled, as well what they are thinking or feeling at the time. This can help the patient learn to identify situations where they commonly pull out their hair and develop strategies for avoiding episodes.
Medication
Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors are effective in the treatment of obsessive-compulsive disorder and are commonly used in the treatment of trichotillomania. Clomipramine treatment was shown to significantly improve symptoms when tested in a doubled-blind study. Clinical trials for other drugs such as fluoxetine, and lithium have not shown to be effective.
Fluoxetine and other similar drugs, which some professionals prescribe on a one-size-fits-all basis, tend to have limited usefulness in treating TTM, and can often have significant side effects. According to F. Penzel, antidepressants can even increase the severity of the TTM.
Epidemiology
Sixty-five percent of those afflicted are female. Evidence now points to a genetic predisposition.
The number of reported trichotillomania cases has increased throughout the years, possibly due to a reduced stigma around the condition. Estimates of the number of persons with TTM range from 1-3% up to 5% of the world's population. This prevalence data is based on the DSM-IV criteria which includes reported increased tension preceding, and relief following, pulling, which has found to be inapplicable in some cases. Without the presence of these criteria the prevalence is much higher.
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