hair pulling disease

The act of pulling out one’s hair, or trichotillomania is defined as an impulse control disorder in the DSM-IV-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders). Individuals experience a sense of tension immediately before pulling out their hair and are often frustrated in their efforts to suppress this behavior because they feel an irresistible urge to pull hair. Sufferers experience feelings of relief, pleasure, or gratification when pulling out their hair.
Often an episode of hair pulling is followed by guilt, shame or fear of losing control. These emotions intensify the anxiety a sufferer feels and will push them to pull out even more of their hair. Some individuals will pull out their hair absentmindedly, almost in a dream like state. Other times, individuals will pull out their hair with great purpose and concentration.

Hair Pulling, a Disease or Disorder?

Hair pulling behavior has been classified as a disorder, and is seen to disrupt an individual’s quality of life. Hair pulling can be seen as a “disease” as well, due to its etiology of biological factors. Hair pulling is seen to be a response to unwanted emotions caused by an imbalance of neurotransmitters in the brain. Anti-depressant medication can be helpful in curing the hair pulling behavior.
Hair pulling also has a behavioral component and is not strictly caused by a chemical imbalance. This makes the definition of this disorder as a “disease” tricky. Much like other psychological disorders such as alcoholism or bulimia, self-inflicted behavior is to blame for the resulting symptoms. Some believe that a disease is clearly defined as a purely physiological condition, such as cancer or diabetes. Perhaps the definition of a “disease” should take into consideration deficiencies of an individual’s brain that pushes them to inflict harm upon themselves and sometimes others. Diagnosing psychological conditions such as hair pulling as “diseases” could help sufferers realize they are not to blame for their behavior and could encourage earlier and more frequent treatment.