Page 98 - issue
P. 98
HAIR TODAY,
GONE TOMORROW
THE SECRET WORLD OF
TRICHOTILLOMANIA
Tby Rabbi Azriel Hauptman pulled out a few more until she had while that something “was up,” since
richotillomania sounds like a about 10 hairs on the table in front of Devorah refused to go on roller coast-
spider that you might meet in an her. A couple of days later, she got an ers, which she used to love, stopped
Amazon rainforest. In reality, it is urge to pull some more hairs and knew going swimming, which was once her
a mental health disorder that is that unless she obeyed her urge she passion, and refused to get her hair
characterized by the compulsive would not be able to get rid of the ten- trimmed.
urge to pull out one’s hair. sion that was rising inside of her. So she
Trichotillomania is Greek for pulled some more. This became a habit Devorah never told her mother,
“hair pulling madness.” It is esti- that she could not stop. She knew that because she thought that no one else
mated that between one and three per- the hair pulling was a bad idea, but the in the world had this “crazy” behavior
cent of the population suffers from this urge was so powerful, she felt unable to and therefore no one would know how
terribly embarrassing disorder at some resist. Actually, the more she resisted, to deal with it. She was petrified that
point during their lives. If we take the the stronger the urge would get! she would be stuck with this damaging
conservative estimate of one percent, behavior for the rest of her life.
that would mean that three million Eventually, she developed a bald
people in the United States have this spot in the middle of her head. She Yaakov’s Story – Automatic
disorder! became very adept at camouflaging her Pulling
issue by combing her hair in such a For as long as Yaakov could remember,
Trichotillomania is often misunder- way as to hide the bald spot. She could whenever he was relaxing, his hands
stood, so let us examine two anecdotes not hide it forever, and when she was would seem to automatically go to his
that can shed light on this disorder. 13 years old her mother noticed the head, and he would start mindlessly
growing bald spot. Devorah broke pulling his hair. This would happen
Devorah’s Story – Focused Pulling down to her mother in uncontrollable when he was reading a book, shmooz-
Devorah was 10 years old when she tears as she knew that she was destroy- ing with friends, sitting in the car, or
once pulled out one of her hairs on her ing her hair with her own hands, but relaxing in bed.
head for fun. She felt a sense of relief felt helpless in controlling her urges.
that was puzzling but enjoyable. She Devorah’s mother had suspected for a After a few years, a bald spot started
developing in the middle of his head.
94 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
GONE TOMORROW
THE SECRET WORLD OF
TRICHOTILLOMANIA
Tby Rabbi Azriel Hauptman pulled out a few more until she had while that something “was up,” since
richotillomania sounds like a about 10 hairs on the table in front of Devorah refused to go on roller coast-
spider that you might meet in an her. A couple of days later, she got an ers, which she used to love, stopped
Amazon rainforest. In reality, it is urge to pull some more hairs and knew going swimming, which was once her
a mental health disorder that is that unless she obeyed her urge she passion, and refused to get her hair
characterized by the compulsive would not be able to get rid of the ten- trimmed.
urge to pull out one’s hair. sion that was rising inside of her. So she
Trichotillomania is Greek for pulled some more. This became a habit Devorah never told her mother,
“hair pulling madness.” It is esti- that she could not stop. She knew that because she thought that no one else
mated that between one and three per- the hair pulling was a bad idea, but the in the world had this “crazy” behavior
cent of the population suffers from this urge was so powerful, she felt unable to and therefore no one would know how
terribly embarrassing disorder at some resist. Actually, the more she resisted, to deal with it. She was petrified that
point during their lives. If we take the the stronger the urge would get! she would be stuck with this damaging
conservative estimate of one percent, behavior for the rest of her life.
that would mean that three million Eventually, she developed a bald
people in the United States have this spot in the middle of her head. She Yaakov’s Story – Automatic
disorder! became very adept at camouflaging her Pulling
issue by combing her hair in such a For as long as Yaakov could remember,
Trichotillomania is often misunder- way as to hide the bald spot. She could whenever he was relaxing, his hands
stood, so let us examine two anecdotes not hide it forever, and when she was would seem to automatically go to his
that can shed light on this disorder. 13 years old her mother noticed the head, and he would start mindlessly
growing bald spot. Devorah broke pulling his hair. This would happen
Devorah’s Story – Focused Pulling down to her mother in uncontrollable when he was reading a book, shmooz-
Devorah was 10 years old when she tears as she knew that she was destroy- ing with friends, sitting in the car, or
once pulled out one of her hairs on her ing her hair with her own hands, but relaxing in bed.
head for fun. She felt a sense of relief felt helpless in controlling her urges.
that was puzzling but enjoyable. She Devorah’s mother had suspected for a After a few years, a bald spot started
developing in the middle of his head.
94 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
