/feels/ - Advice & Venting

>when did you start?
the summer after first grade which has been 18 years that I've been doing this

>why did you start?
I had lice that summer so I started doing it because I thought I would be able to see if I had lice but it became a nervous habit

>have you ever been able to find coping skills to not do it anymore?
not really honestly

>have there been any moments that people looked at you funny because of it?
yes, my 4th grade teacher made me wear ponytails every day and now I have headaches if I have my hair up for too long, in 5th grade my teacher made me flip my card for touching my head, at one point in middle school, I pulled so much that a pile of hair was on the floor

>have you ever had bald spots?
yes, in middle school it got so bad that my grandma made me wear hats when she took pictures of me

>what's the longest you've gone without pulling?
I don't think I've ever gone long without doing it, I haven't had bald spots in a while but I do get scabs that I pick

>>113089
>when did you start?
When I was around 8/9
>why did you start?
Anxiety
>have you ever been able to find coping skills to not do it anymore?
I took escitalopram for years to help stop with it, and I was able to ween myself off it and not re-start the habit.
>have there been any moments that people looked at you funny because of it?
I had bald spots until I was about 20 so yes.
>have you ever had bald spots?
See above
>what's the longest you've gone without pulling?
I'm about 10 years clean now

> when did you start?
i think in 2017 or 2018?

> why did you start?
an eyebrow accidentally got tightly stuck in my nail and when i pulled it it was painful but kinda good. i pick my skin so picking my eyebrows was a similar fidgeting relief

>have you ever been able to find coping skills to not do it anymore?
honestly not really. but a few times when i had gotten my nails done i noticed i barely did it bc i was physically unable to

>have there been any moments that people looked at you funny because of it?
i wouldnt say my friends made fun of me but they pointed it out when they noticed. then i told them to keep poiting it out so i could stop bc i do it unconsciously

>have you ever had bald spots?
yeah lol but then i bought a black eye pencil and realized i could just cover the bald spot with it

>what's the longest you've gone without pulling?
no idea but probably not more than a few days. i dont think ive ever gone a full week without pulling

>>113089
>when did you start?
when I was 13-14
>why did you start?
combo of OCD and real bad rough patches when I was a kid
>have you ever been able to find coping skills to not do it anymore?
Yes. Almost a year ago my issues culminated into panic attacks, I thought I was having a heart attack on a daily basis. I took zoloft for a few months and picked up a book called Feeling Good (self help CBT) the apathy combined with the new coping mechanism pretty much stopped my pulling within the 2nd month.
>have there been any moments that people looked at you funny because of it?
Too many to count
>have you ever had bald spots?
My hairline resembled Mao Zedong's for years on end
>what's the longest you've gone without pulling?
eight months and counting.

when did you start?
Around 11 or 12.

why did you start?
No clear reason. I think it started as a fidget thing and turned into a compulsion. Stress makes it worse but it's not like I only do it when stressed.

have you ever been able to find coping skills to not do it anymore?
Not fully. Keeping my hands busy helps somewhat (fidget toys, knitting), and wearing a hat or keeping my hair up makes it harder to do mindlessly. But nothing has made it stop completely.

have there been any moments that people looked at you funny because of it?
Yeah. Mostly when people notice me pulling and I didn't realize I was doing it. Also comments about my eyebrows or hair looking thin.

have you ever had bald spots?
Yes. Eyebrows and a patch near my part.

what's the longest you've gone without pulling?
Maybe 3 or 4 months. Then something set it off again and I was back to it daily.