Trichotillomania, one of the family of obsessive-compulsive disorders, may afflict as many as 6 to 8 million people in the United States. Now, a leading authority on obsessive-compulsive disorders, Dr. Fred Penzel, has written the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative guide to this syndrome available, filled with reassuring advice for patients and their families. Endorsed by the Trichotillomania Learning Center, the leading advocate group for this disorder, this superb handbook includes all the information a patient or relative would need to understand this illness and to cope with it. Penzel provides a detailed discussion of causes and he reviews all the treatment options, describing the most effective medications and their side effects as well as the recommended cognitive and behavioral treatments. He shows patients how to design a self-help program and gain control of their compulsive behavior, how to prevent relapse, describes trichotillomania and its treatment in children, and suggests coping strategies for families at home and in public situations. He also provides a guide to all the resources available, including internet sites, recommended books, and videos, and outlines ways to start a support group. The appendix will include questionnaires, clinical rating scales, and the official DSM diagnostic criteria for the disorder, so readers can decide if they need to seek behavioral and possibly medical treatment. Dr. Penzel has helped patients with OCD and trichotillomania for over twenty years and is one of America's leading authorities on these disorders. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience, he has produced the most complete and scientifically accurate handbook available on this disorder, a comforting guide packed with information to help people with trichotillomania get well and stay well.
Author(s): Fred Penzel
Edition: 1
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA
Year: 2003
Language: English
Pages: 385
Contents......Page 12
List of Tables......Page 18
Foreword......Page 20
Introduction......Page 28
ONE: What Is Trichotillomania?......Page 34
The Diagnostic Criteria......Page 35
TTM and OCD......Page 36
The Effects of Hair Pulling......Page 37
Patterns and Signs of Pulling......Page 40
How People Pull......Page 42
Disguises and Camouflage......Page 47
Physical Sensations and Pulling......Page 50
Trying to Stop......Page 51
Who Pulls?......Page 52
TTM Across the Lifespan......Page 54
TTM and Heredity......Page 55
What Gets TTM Started?......Page 56
Disorders That Occur Together With TTM......Page 60
Problems Mistaken for TTM......Page 61
The Stigma of TTM—The Emotional Cost......Page 64
The Self-Esteem Trap......Page 68
Self-Acceptance—The Only Logical Way......Page 71
Defining Acceptance......Page 72
Acceptance and TTM Treatment Issues......Page 76
Mindfulness, Breathing, and Meditation......Page 78
The Five Acceptances......Page 80
Accepting Yourself......Page 81
Accepting Others......Page 83
Accepting the Nature of the Task of Therapy......Page 84
Accepting the Nature of the Task of Ongoing Recovery......Page 85
THREE: The Causes of TTM—Why Do People Pull?......Page 88
The Addiction Model......Page 89
The Behavioral Model......Page 90
The Ethological Model......Page 92
The Neurobiological Model......Page 96
Similarities and Connections Linking TTM and OCD......Page 98
Dissimilarities between TTM and OCS......Page 99
Similarities of TTM and Tourette’s......Page 100
The Stimulus Regulation Model—An Integrated Approach......Page 101
The Yeast Allergy Model......Page 106
The Functions of Hair......Page 110
The Structure and Composition of Hair......Page 111
How Hair Grows......Page 115
Other Causes of Hair Loss......Page 119
Common Hair Frauds and What Really Works......Page 121
FIVE: How TTM Is Treated......Page 128
Therapy for TTM......Page 129
Play Therapy......Page 130
Homeopathy......Page 131
Special Diets......Page 132
Supplements......Page 133
Other Miscellaneous Treatments......Page 134
Biofeedback......Page 135
Behavioral Therapy......Page 136
Cognitive Therapy......Page 139
Therapy, the Therapist, and My Feelings......Page 141
Behavioral Therapy Steps for TTM......Page 142
Habit Reversal Training......Page 146
Stimulus Control......Page 148
Behavioral Therapy—A Time Frame......Page 150
Knowing When You Need Therapy......Page 151
Recovery with Behavioral Therapy Alone......Page 152
Only Commitment Brings Success......Page 153
Using Medication with Behavioral Therapy......Page 154
Behavioral Therapy Can Help Biological Problems......Page 155
Where and How to Look......Page 156
What to Ask......Page 157
Choosing a Therapist......Page 159
Is Self-Help for You?......Page 164
Getting Started......Page 166
Assembling the Steps......Page 167
Relaxation Script......Page 177
Brief Relaxation Exercise......Page 184
Medication as Part of Treatment......Page 204
Medications Used to Treat TTM......Page 207
Drug Augmentation......Page 210
Prescribing Medication for TTM......Page 216
Medications: Everything Works for Somebody, Nothing Works for Everybody......Page 217
The Best Medication for You......Page 218
How to Tell When Medication is Working......Page 219
Long Term Medication and Side Effects......Page 221
The Effects of Other Medications on TTM......Page 222
TTM, Medication, and Pregnancy......Page 223
Side Effects and What Can Be Done About Them......Page 224
TTM Medications and Addiction......Page 232
Getting Well Using Medication Alone......Page 233
If Your TTM Medication Stops Working......Page 234
Discontinuing Medication Once Symptoms Improve......Page 235
Special Diets or Supplements......Page 236
When You Can’t Afford Medication......Page 239
Defining Recovery......Page 242
Relapse Prevention—Staying Well......Page 245
Facing Professional Hair Care......Page 252
Additional TTM Maintenance Goals......Page 253
Recognizing TTM in Children......Page 256
Coming to Terms with Your Child’s Disorder......Page 258
Explaining the Disorder to a Child......Page 266
The Reluctant Child......Page 268
Preadolescent Children......Page 273
Adolescents......Page 275
The Therapy Process......Page 276
Stimulus Control and Morale Builders......Page 281
A Hairpiece for Your Child—Pros and Cons......Page 282
Medication and Your Child......Page 283
Medications Used to Treat Children......Page 285
Children with TTM and School......Page 287
Childhood TTM and Strep Infections......Page 290
The People Close To You—Help or Hindrance?......Page 294
If the TTM Sufferer Refuses Help......Page 301
TTM, Relationships, and Intimacy......Page 302
Coming Out......Page 305
The Trichotillomania Learning Center......Page 308
Other Organizations That Can Help......Page 310
Support Groups......Page 312
Resources Online......Page 314
TTM Reading and Viewing List......Page 320
Medical Facilities Offering Treatment for TTM......Page 326
A......Page 328
B......Page 329
C......Page 330
D......Page 331
E......Page 332
H......Page 333
I......Page 334
M......Page 335
O......Page 336
P......Page 337
R......Page 338
S......Page 339
T......Page 341
Y......Page 343
A: Trichotillomania, Skin Picking and Nail Biting Symptom Checklist......Page 344
B: TTM Clinical Rating Scales and Questionnaires......Page 352
C: Official DSM-IV Diagnostic Criteria for Trichotillomania......Page 370
A......Page 372
C......Page 373
D......Page 374
F......Page 375
H......Page 376
M......Page 377
O......Page 378
P......Page 379
S......Page 380
T......Page 382
Y......Page 383
Z......Page 384
About the Author......Page 385
