Nursing Diagnosis for Trichotillomania (Hair pulling)

labman · Dec 4, 2005

Hey pickmeplz

I can help you but I don't got much information. Why is she pulling her hair. If you give me some more information I can help you. Here is some ideas (confusion, confusion acute, confusion chronic, self mutilation, thought process disturbed) here are some ideas. Without any back round here is what I can think of. I hope I could help you a little.

KENT

PickMePlze · Dec 4, 2005

Hey pickmeplz
I can help you but I don't got much information. Why is she pulling her hair. If you give me some more information I can help you. Here is some ideas (confusion, confusion acute, confusion chronic, self mutilation, thought process disturbed) here are some ideas. Without any back round here is what I can think of. I hope I could help you a little.
KENT

Its actually for a student presentation I'm doing tomorrow, no patient involved. My instructor just wants some diagnosis that could be used for this disorder.

Marie_LPN, RN, LPN, RN · Dec 4, 2005

Pain, maybe? I mean i would think that would have to hurt....

Ineffective Coping (if the hair-pulling is because of stress)

Risk for Injury

Maybe Self-Mutilation or Risk for Self-Mutilation?

None of my books had anything on this.

palesarah · Dec 4, 2005

I'd focus on diagnoses related to self-perception and stress tolerance/coping. People who suffer from trichotillomania (which I believe is a DSM-IV diagnosis now) generally pull as a means of coping with stress. The damage they do to themselves reinforces a disturbed body image and low-self esteem. Not sure if I worded that last sentence exactly how I meant it but I think you get the general idea. It can be very embarrassing and damaging to the person's sense of self.

lunakat · Dec 4, 2005

My sister suffers from trich, she doesn't feel pain when she pulls. For her its more of a tension releaser. Ineffective coping is a good one. Also realize some people eat the hair the pull which can bind in the stomach forming a trichobizor (sp) which is a giant hairball :uhoh3: that will stop up the GI system and have to be surgically removed. People who suffer from trich don't just pull the hair on their head, they will pull their arm hair, leg hair and eyelashes out (like my sister). Her eyes are usually swollen form her pulling. Also she will have scabbed over bald spots on her head. So maybe risk for infection form the eyelash thing or wound on head. Oh ya, my sister forgets to take her anti anxiety meds, and doesn't know why she pulls. She will says its from stress or boredom so, knowledge deficit is good. Here are some others, Anxiety, defensive coping, powerlessness, self-esteem disturbance...that's all I can think of for now. Good luck

NICU_nurse2b · Dec 4, 2005

My daughter has Trich. She also has Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder which I believe plays a part in it. I think for her it is more of an anxiety and stress reliever. As you probably already know it is not a well understood disease.

My daughter spent 7 weeks in the NICU which I believe is one of the reasons she has a hard time dealing with anxiety and stress. Her hair pulling is one thing she has total control of. The little knowledge that I have of cutting and eating disorders reminds me of what I know of Complusive hair pulling.

(I noticed her hiar pulling when she was 2, she was diagnosed when she was 3 nearly bald, now she is 4 and she now has piggy tails!)

Hope this helps some and good luck on your report

LydiaNN · Dec 4, 2005

I have this. I tend to do it most when I'm feeling stress. It is a DSM-IV dx, so you can get all the information you need there. Luvox was most helpful to me, but I couldn't stay on it due to unrelenting weight gain :/ Wellbutrin helps somewhat, but nowhere near as much.

Stitchie · Dec 4, 2005

Just my 0.02, but anxiety / OCD type behaviors?