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TREATMENT OPTIONS
Over the past decade there have been many different approaches to treating
Trichotillomania. Although no one treatment has been found to be effective for everyone, there are options available
that have proved successful for some.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that helps you
weaken the connections between troublesome situations (ie stress) and your reaction to them (ie pulling). Unfortunately for
most of us, we are unlikely to come across a behaviour therapist who has knowledge and experience treating trichotillomania
within the NHS due to a lack of training and education. Trichotillomania is all too often associated with OCD (Obsessive Compulsive
Disorder) and treated as OCD when in fact the pulling behaviour is very different to the behaviour pressent in OCD. As the
name suggests, OCD is driven by obsessions and compulsions, whereas Trichotillomania is driven by an impulse. Many individuals
with Trichotillomania also display other impulse based behaviours such as skin picking, eating disorders, nail biting
and addictions. (smoking, drugs). Success rates for Trichotillomania using behaviour therapy are promising and
as more in the medical field become familiar with Trichotillomania, the better the chances of finding a therapist familiar
with trich become.
Medication
The most commonly prescribed drugs for Trichotillomania are selective
serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI's). The most common of these is prozac. Along with Trich, OCD is thought to be caused
by a chemical imbalance, namely serotonin levels in the brain. OCD has been successfully treated with SSRI's, yet treating
trich with such medication has been largely unsuccesssful to date. Serotonin helps send electrical signals from one
nerve cell to another. Serotonin is released from one nerve cell (the sender) and travels to the next (the receiver), where
it is either absorbed or returns back to the original sender cell. When a person suffers from depression, anxiety disorders,
ocd, and related conditions, there could be a problem with the release of serotonin and it's effect on cell to cell comunication.
SSRI's block serotonin from being absorbed back into the sender nerve cell. This process increases the amount of serotonin
available to be absorbed by the receiver cell and can help message transmissions return to normal. The reason SSRI's do not
appear helpful for treating trichotillomania is that the production and regulation of serotonin may be at fault
and not it's release. Many people opt for a combination of CBT and medication if depression is particularly troublesome.
Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy does appear to have some success but only in the short
term. Some people report success up to about the 6 month point then the pulling resumes. A top-up every 6 months would therefor
be required for any long term solution. Hypnotherapy does not deal with the underlying issues surrounding trich but rather
eliminates one of the symptoms.
Online-Coaching Programme
Online therapy is available from www.trichotillomania.co.uk. The therapist has experience of beating trich herself so has a unique
insight into what makes this disorder tick. The programme has a 94% success rate to date.
For details of Neovision Trichnotherapy click here
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