How to Help Your Child With Trichotillomania .
As a parent of a child with Trichotillomania, for as many things as you should be doing, there are likely almost as many things you should not do. Most parents fail to realize that there is a good chance part of their child’s reason for hair pulling is a result of the parent-child interaction. Sometimes there are underlying issues that need to be discovered and cleared between the parent and the child.
One of the most important things a parent can do is to not readily accept diagnostic labels. Often children with Trichotillomania are diagnosed too quickly and / or mis-diagnosed. Compulsive hair pulling cannot be cured. There is no medicine or magic pill to make it go away. Though many professionals prescribe various drugs to help cope with it, they offer no healing solution.
Be sure that whomever you are speaking to regarding your child’s compulsive behavior is not just a general practitioner, but a Trichotillomania specialist; a hair pulling consultant. Ideally, the consultant would not have only “read” about how to cope, but understand how to help with the healing process; someone who has actually experienced hair pulling and has successfully dealt with it personally would provide a level of empathy not all professionals can provide. While there is no cure, there is still hope for your child hair puller. Your child can be healed of hair pulling and choosing the right consultant is your first step in that process.
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