NEAT Food Test

We saw the Naturopath about a week ago and it was really positive.  Unlike the first behavior therapist we spoke to who basically said there was nothing we could do and we should just accept that she may live with this the rest of her life!  We talked about some possible food allergies and how "leaky gut syndrome" can affect neurotransmitters in the brain.  By finding out what possible allergies she has and eliminating them from her diet, we might be able to at least control or decrease her urges to pull.  So far we've done two urine tests and are waiting for more info on those.  We have started her on a probiotic called HMF Neuro and in two weeks she will take the NEAT Diet Test.

Pull Free Day 8!!!

We are celebrating our 8th day without pulling by getting some new sparkly nail polish!

The little sprouts of new eyelashes and brows are starting to poke through.  I realize they might grow back and she might pull them all out again, but for now I just want to celebrate the fact that she's kept her band-aids on and she hasn't pulled for days!  Good job little girl!

A Band-Aid is just a Band-Aid:

Well, I always knew this day would come, the day she figured out she could just take her Band-Aids off whenever she wanted to pull again.  I just didn’t think she would figure it out this soon.  But she is a smart little bugger, always has been!  Today she came downstairs after quiet time to tell me her Band-Aids “fell off” and she needed new ones.  I took a look at her face and noticed the newly bald spots in her brows.  I asked her if she took them off and she said no.  But when I asked her if she pulled her brows she was immediately ashamed and said yes.  The brows were just starting to sprout tiny new hairs and that familiar feeling of hope that maybe they would grow back and she would leave them alone this time, was immediately shattered.  I didn’t let her see my disappointment, my heartbreak for her, my sadness, my frustration.  Instead I hugged her and told her it was ok, and that I’m glad she told me the truth.  We try to be very open about it, and I tell her she can tell me any time and I will never be mad at her.  I don’t want her to feel ashamed, like she has to hide it from us.  After everything she is already feeling that is the last thing I want her to worry about, is how I am going to react.  She did ask for new Band-Aids, and at first I thought, what’s the point if she’s just going to take them off again?  But if she asked for them that's a positive thing, she is realizing that they are helping at least.  So I made a deal with her:  If she keeps the Band-Aids on all day, and doesn’t take them off, she gets a surprise.  I’m trying to focus on rewarding her behavior of keeping the Band-Aids on.  Not so much rewarding her for NOT pulling, but doing something positive to help control her behavior.  If she comes home with Band-Aids on today, I get to paint her nails as a reward.  She loves this!  If not, we try again tomorrow.  Staying positive!

Gluten’s Role in Trichotillomania | My Gluten Free Quest

I love this blog, makes total sense to me!

Gluten’s Role in Trichotillomania | My Gluten Free Quest

The Insurance Battle:

I found an excellent article instructing us how to handle our insurance company.  This is such a relief, as my husband and I have been searching high and low for someone who will treat our daughter.  It has been a challenge because of:

• Her age.  Difficult to find anyone who treats under 6 year
• Out of Network.  Most Naturopathic Dr's or Behavior Therapists do not take insurance.
• The disorder.  There is little experience in the field for treating Trichotillomania. 

Click here: 
Fight For Your Rights: Getting Your Insurance Company
To Pay For BFRB Treatment

Band-aids

So far the only thing we can do to prevent her from pulling her lashes and brows are to put Band-Aids on her thumbs and finger.  It seems to be working so far, and she LOVES the princess Band-Aids!  Unfortunately we are going through a ton of them and I think we'll have to resort to the generic ones soon.

Naked Eyes

It is so hard to look at my pretty little girl and her naked face.  :(
I know I'm supposed to be supportive but I think this is harder on me than anyone.  She seems perfectly happy, her friends at school haven't said anything or noticed.  I guess I'm just terrified for the future, if she continues to do this.  Kids are MEAN and I don't want her to have any problems socially.  The other day I caught her pulling the hair off her legs.  I keep thinking she is going to move onto the hair on her head next.  I told her to go ahead and pull the hair off her legs!  People pay good money for that kind of service!  :)  I don't know if it was right of me to say it was ok for her to pull leg hair and not facial hair, but I thought maybe if I could re-direct her pulling, she would leave her face alone.  Unfortunately that didn't really work either.  She still had her bottom lashes the other day, but today when I looked I noticed they were gone now too.  She's starting to complain about her eyes itching.  I explained to her it's because she doesn't have any lashes to protect her from the dirt and dust that's getting in there.  She is really beginning to understand what's going on now but but I know she can't even comprehend how to control it.  We are still on the search for a therapist that will see her.  I can't believe it's been weeks and none of them have called back!  I think I'm going to look into a Naturopathic Dr. next.

I Know What You’re Thinking:

Wow, that girl must have some issues, right??  I know some of you are thinking that, because I probably would have said the same thing.  But that was before.  Before I started educating myself on this disorder.  Before it moved in on my family.  Before when I was so small-minded and just plain ignorant about it.  The truth is, my little girl doesn't have any issues at all.  None other than the regular 4 year old girl issues!  She is very smart, funny, has lots of little friends, is happy, comes from a loving home with two parents that love her and love each other.  She just has an extra sensory need. Similar to the way you can’t stop biting your nails, she can’t stop pulling her lashes or brows out.  And she’s not alone.  1 in 50 people now have been diagnosed with trichotillomania.  The other thing we as parents need to understand also is, it's not our fault.  You didn't do anything wrong to cause this!  This has taken me a while to realize and believe myself, and will be a constant work in progress I'm sure.  As a mother it is only natural for me to want to find out why this happened, what could have caused it?  How could I have prevented it?  I cannot beat myself up over it.  I need to accept that my daughter was born this way.  Her brain has been wired to do this from the start, and nothing I could have done would have prevented it from happening eventually.  She will most likely battle this all of her life.  I will do what I can to help her through these difficult times and she gets older.  I guess that's why I started this blog.  To learn about what I can do to help.  Reach out to others and find out what works, what doesn't.  What to say, what NOT to say.  I will share our story and shed as much light as I can on what can be viewed as a dark and shameful topic. 

Our Story:

It all started a few weeks back.  My husband and I noticed little girl's eyes looked puffy.  She had been rubbing them and said they were itchy.  So we thought nothing of it, and gave her some allergy meds and then I put some eye drops in her eyes.  A few days later, they still looked "funny".
The next day I went to pick her up at preschool.  Her teacher pulled me aside and asked what was going on with her eyes.  She pointed out to me that her top eye lashes were missing!  My first thought was "Oh my gosh, her lashes are falling out!"  I had asked her if she pulled any out because we have seen her rubbing them for days now, but she said no.  I was immediately worried that something was wrong with my little girl, and something was causing her lashes to fall out.  I was concerned it was alopecia, or maybe she had an allergic reaction to the drops...  I called her pediatrician immediately and made an appointment for the next day.

Later that evening, she went with Daddy to go pick up a pizza.  When she returned I noticed two new bald spots in her eyebrows.  It had been obvious to me now what was going on.
So I carefully asked her again, "Baby, are you sure you didn't pull on your eyebrows?  It's ok to tell me, I won't be mad, I just need to make sure you're ok and you're not sick so I need to know what happened"  She finally admitted to pulling.  At this point, I wasn't completely positive I knew what was going on, but I have heard of this hair pulling disorder before so I was hoping this isn't what we were dealing with. Perhaps it was just a fluke, curiosity got the best of her.

As we got ready for bed that night, she asked me if her eyebrows would grow back, and if her friends at school were going to see.  Despite the sadness I felt for her at that moment, I remained positive.  I told her not to worry, her friends won't even notice, and mama would fix it tomorrow before school.  I talked with her for a little while, and explained to her why we have lashes and brows, and the important job they do.  She seemed to really receptive.  I tucked her in and said good night.

Minutes later, I noticed that she had left her favorite purple blanket and snoopy downstairs, so I went up to bring it to her.  When I walked in her room, she was buried under her blankets.  When I uncovered her, she was crying and told me that the rest of her eyebrows "fell out".  When I asked her why she pulled them out she told me "I can't stop my hands from doing it".  My heart shattered in a million pieces.  It took every ounce of energy for me not to break down and cry in front of her. At that moment I knew.  I knew we were dealing with something serious and it wasn't just a fluke.  I asked her if it hurt when she pulled them out and she said no.  I asked her if she pulled any of the hair on her head and she said no.  All I could do is hug her and tell her that it's ok, and she's going to be fine.  

I went downstairs and broke down in front of my husband.  He went upstairs and laid with her until she fell asleep.  And that is the night my research began... Google was my best friend, and I began my quest to find an answer, something to tell me what to do, something to tell me it was going to be alright.

Tricho- What???

Trichotillomania (pronounced: trik-oh-till-oh-MAY-nee-uh) is an impulse control disorder (ICD) that involves strong urges to pull out one's own hair. An impulse control disorder is a type of psychological condition.
Doctors used to believe trichotillomania was rare. But that thinking is now changing as experts gain a better understanding of the condition and more people come forward for help. Trichotillomania affects more girls than guys. Most people who have it develop it during adolescence. But trichotillomania can start in kids as young as 1 year old.

People with trichotillomania pull hair out at the root from places like the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or pubic area. Some people pull large handfuls of hair, which can leave bald patches on the scalp or eyebrows. Other people pull out their hair one strand at a time. Some inspect the strand after pulling it out or play with the hair after it's been pulled. About half of people with the condition put the hair in their mouths after pulling it. Some people are very aware of their pulling; others seem to do it without really noticing what they're doing.

Reference kidshealth.org