People who repetitively pull hair from their bodies find it difficult to find rewards outside of hair pulling.
Trichotillomania, involves repetitive pulling of hair from anywhere in the body. Knowledge of how hair pullers experience rewards and punishment aids understanding of trichotillomania and its treatment. Australian researchers conducted interviews with 16 women with clinically diagnosed trichotillomania. Participants reported that they were generally highly sensitive to punishment and distrustful of positive and rewarding life experiences. Avoidance of punishment appeared to be the main motivator of hair-pulling behaviour, rather than the experience of pleasure. The researchers concluded that individuals with trichotillomania need encouragement to find rewards outside of hair-pulling behaviour. They also suggested behavioural activation as a potential treatment because of the link between hair-pulling, anxiety and depression.
doi.org/10.1111/cp.12160
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