Depression and Trichotillomania: The Vicious Cycle of Self Loathing and Hair Pulling

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How are Depression and Hair Pulling Disorders Linked?

Hair pulling can be the result of depression and it can also lead to depression!

It’s a double whammy for a lot of us.

Depression leads to hair pulling because it’s a coping mechanism.

Hair pulling leads to depression because we hate ourselves for doing it.

Here’s what Anxiety.org had to say after their study using 90 adults with trichotillomania,

(source)

Depression and Trichotillomania: It’s A Cycle

Hair pulling certainly can lead to depressive thoughts because of the condemning feelings I have afterwards.

I feel like an ugly failure and that makes me so depressed.

I will do so well for so long and then I get depressed, stop caring and start pulling.

Depression and trichotillomania to me are a vicious cycle of condemnation.

Depression sort of has this cause and affect role.

I get depressed so I pull.

I pulled now I’m depressed.

Ugh.

I have had depression on and off most of my life.

I’m in a lot of support groups on Facebook for Trich and I can see it’s a common denominator for a lot of us.

Life is hard.

I get depressed AF sometimes.

I hide it from most people, I think a lot of us do?

This year has been so hard on me that digging myself out of this depression has been so hard.

I lost my business so quickly and honestly it doesn’t really look like it’s coming back from this view.

A landslide took it down.

It is a depressing scene.

You know that saying, “money can’t buy happiness.”

That’s not true for everyone.

I was super happy with money. Depression in my life was at an all time low.

I enjoyed being able to give and provide, it was so awesome. I was happy.

I think if we’re all honest, we would say that money helps quality of life and that relates to happiness in a lot of areas.

It’s less stress when things are going well.

I get depressed when things are headed down in my life.

I may not always show it outwardly but I get totally depressed ant that depression leads me to spiral into hair pulling.

I stop caring about myself.

I stop caring if I take my supplements.

I stop caring if I wear my Keen bracelets.

I stop caring if I eat well.

I just stop caring.

It’s when I stop caring that I start pulling.

Then I hate myself for pulling and get more depressed.

It’s cycle.

I am able to overcome trichotillomania, I know the things I need to do to stop.

I just need care about myself again to start doing those things.

The Dangers of Depression

There are a lot of dangers when it comes to depression.

Depression affects people of all ages, it seems that preteens and teenagers are more vulnerable because of the peer pressures and hormonal changes they are experiencing.

School is wickedly hard compared to what it was 20 years ago, they get a lot less recess and play time and have a lot more demands.

Because of all this extreme pressure, the dangers of depression are very real in adolescents and teens.

Women deal with depression more than men and more women have trichotillomania than men too.

Depression leads to all sorts of mental illnesses and impulsive disorders like trichotillomania because it becomes a coping mechanism to handling the depression itself.

Depression can be fatal; and it’s not just the depressive thoughts that pose risk!

A lot of well meaning people go to the doctor to get help, only to find themselves on medications that present their own list of dangers!

If you’re not aware, depression medications can lead you into a spiral of more depression and not to mention addiction and even suicide.

Suicide

This may be the “ultimate” danger associated with depression – it’s considered by many to be the most extreme manifestation and the rates are climbing year after year.

I’ve battled suicidal thoughts on and off my entire life and I know first hand how bad depression can be.

Depressed people can convince themselves that they just aren’t worth enough to live, or that their friends and family will be better off without them.

I know there are many times when I just felt so worthless because of my business failures that I’ve thought I was better off dead.

Thoughts of suicide are VERY real when you are depressed, it’s the ultimate danger of depression.

Be Leary of Medications

While medication can save lives, it can also pose serious and/or dangerous side effects.

Antidepressants tend to have fewer side effects than SSRIs, but antidepressants may, ironically, induce suicidal thoughts.

Several years ago, a popular antidepressant was called out for indirectly causing the actual suicides of many people who took it.

SSRIs may cause bad headaches, temporary or chronic diarrhea, insomnia, nausea, and/or nervousness and agitation.

I don’t suggest people take medications unless they have exhausted all natural resources first.

CBD oil is a natural alternative that has been helping me so much, there are no side effects and it works faster than any other natural supplement I have used.

Self-Neglect

Depressed people have a tendency to neglect their own health and care.

This is the stage that scares me the most because I know it all too well.

I lose motivation and the will to do normal things I should be doing, like cleaning, eating, and working on my business.

Depressed people lose interest in life and the things that we need to do in life.

Responsibilities are no longer something I care about because when I’m depressed, life sucks.

The self neglect leads to hair pulling in my case because I lose my ability to care if I stop or not.

I know better.

I know I’m doing it.

….But I don’t care because I’m depressed.

It’s a terrible cycle to be caught up in.

I don’t want to pull my hair out but I’m so depressed do I really care?

Yes, I do but the depression sort of fogs the vision and conviction to stop.

Making Positive Changes

Putting Eyes Back on Jesus

Somewhere in these past few months of depression I have taken my eyes off my position in Christ.

I have been in such a panic and depression over my business that I’m not walking by faith at all.

Faith comes by hearing and hearing the Word of Christ and somewhere in all the hustle and bustle of losing my business I forgot WHO my Source actually was because I stopped hearing Him.

That alone will cause a depression.