Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania - My LA Therapy

ABOUT TRICHOTILLOMANIA AND DERMATILLOMANIA

Trichotillomania is an impulse disorder, whereby a person pulls their hair out from their body. A person can pull the hair out from the scalp, eyebrows, and eyelashes. It frequently begins in early adolescence. The average age it begins is 12 years old. One may describe a feeling of relief or pleasure after pulling out their hair. Usually they feel stressed, tensed or anxious prior to pulling out the hair. Often times people seek hypnotherapy because they feel shame or embarrassment and are worried about how people might perceive them. Hypnotherapy helps to eliminate this behavior and address the feelings around it. It effects 8-11 million people but it may even be more due to the shame people have about opening up about it. Many health professionals are often in disagreement about the cause. Hypnotherapists have found that hair pulling is an anxiety reduction process. The person associates the behavior of hair pulling with relaxation.

HOW IT WORKS

I go into great detail in the interview process in regards to the history of the behavior. A series of questions will be asked, like when it started, how it occurs, what your behaviors are, if you have ever had periods where the behavior has ceased, and how often you do it, what you feel the cause is, how strong is your desire to stop, and other questions will be asked as they arise. Hypnosis and imagery can be effective modalities to reduce and eliminate symptoms, by teaching you to identify what the triggers are and by learning stress relief tools. You will be taught about anchors to use for your success. You will be taught positive replacement strategies. Often times hypnotherapist work in conjunction with your other medical professionals if you suffer from additional conditions such as depression. Studies show that Hypnotherapy is rated as one of the top treatments for the success of anyone suffering from Trichotillomania.

ABOUT DERMATILLOMANIA

Dermatillomania, also known as Excoriation disorder (also referred to as chronic skin-picking) is related to obsessive-compulsive disorder. It is characterized by repeated picking at one’s own skin, which results in skin lesions and causes significant disruption in one’s life. Hypnotherapy combined with cognitive Behavior Therapy focuses on making the patient aware of what they are doing and why they are doing it. Also, it provides effective means to find positive alternatives to the harmful actions.

HOW IT WORKS

We will start out by identifying when the skin-picking started and when it was at its worst, then really digging into what was happening around that time. Hypnotherapist believe that there are triggering stressors that need to be explored in order to release the charge around it and help to eliminate it all together. The procedure itself will help to adjust your state of cognizance in a way that relaxes the conscious part of the mind while simultaneously stimulating and focusing the intuitive part. This uplifted state of mindfulness – achieved using skilled relaxation techniques – allows the hypnotherapist to then make appropriate suggestions. The efficacy of hypnosis is based on how much you want the result to be. Hypnotherapy can free an individual from toxic practices. Hypnosis for Dermatillomania can teach you:
Alternative replacement behaviors and how to use anchors as a tool to teach the hand to self-sooth.

- How to change the impact of triggering stressors.

- Self-hypnosis for relaxation.

- How to control, manage and overcome.

- Increased mindfulness.

- To tune into your body so you feel it in your heart and soul and not on the skin.