Do you pull out your hair? Maybe your eyelashes or eyebrows? Or even pick at your skin and wonder what’s wrong with you or what is going on? 

Do you sometimes feel so anxious that you cannot seem to control yourself anymore?

There’s actually a cause for this. This might be a comorbid symptom or sometimes a representing symptom.

What are the symptoms?

• Too much and unusual pulling of their hair, due to different reasons
• Difficulty to stop hair pulling even if the intention is there
• Feeling of relief upon pulling out hair
• Feeling of anxiety and stress when attempting to stop hair pulling
• Irritation due to picking of skin
• Hair loss or bald patches caused by hair pulling

Do you notice some of these symptoms to yourself or someone you know? Here are some of the  criterias to consider:

The recurrent pulling out or picking at the skin

We sometimes see these as mannerisms or habits, but when something is already too much and that it already causes impairment in function, then we should start thinking, what can we do about it?

Anything that is too much is not good. We should always have a self check to see what is going on and if there is something wrong. We might neglect these symptoms most of the time, and that causes the symptoms to be more severe.

The person feels they can’t stop

Once we notice that something is wrong, we tend to think and make ourselves stop. But is stopping that easy for you? Or do you see yourself just repeating and being trapped in the cycle?

Maybe it’s time for you to seek help. 

At Mentally STRONG, we help families cope with mental illness by providing comprehensive mental health services, online personal development courses, and information to help improve mental and behavioral health to support you and your loved one in beginning the journey to becoming Mentally STRONG.