Reddit reviews The Pleasure Instinct: Why We Crave Adventure, Chocolate, Pheromones, and Music

Your parents sound like they are unintentionally awful. They are probably great people who just don't know how to help you. Your brother is probably just an arse who learned all of his social finesse from your parents, no doubt.

My big brother teases me about things (I crashed mum's motorbike once...), but never my hair pulling (on my beard) or my face picking (dermatillomania). I get upset, but remember that he is just that way.

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I would try to focus on your pulling (not the nasty people in your life). Have you considered trying a supplement like NAC. There seems to be quite a bit of evidence to suggest that it helps with compulsive behaviors. It is also fairly cheap (and safe as far as I can tell).

There was also a fairly recent post about stress and how people respond to it. I pull when I am stressed, but understanding this has really helped me stop pulling a lot. I know I find pleasure pulling out hairs. I know that I shouldn't do it. I still manage to do it anyway.

In regards to finding it (pulling hair) pleasurable, I found it amazingly useful to read The Pleasure Instinct. I have also cut down sugar/chocolate consumption since reading that too. It was really helpful all round to improve my life. I think I've even started enjoying smells (never really enjoyed smelling things before) and feeling things. I can usually not pick now if I have something nice to touch, like a bit of velcro or my headphone cord.

If you are game, try reading this document: http://www.dsm5.org/Research/Documents/Stein_Trich.pdf. I don't know how comfortable you feel with talking about this with your parents (I still haven't told my parents, after knowing about it for about a year), but it might be worthwhile sharing this with them. It is a problem, and as far as I can tell it is treatable. I suspect you're still at home and still a dependent. Your parents may be the best bet you have to stopping (They might be able to help supply you with a therapist, different shampoo/conditioner or some NAC).

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I have a friend in hospital for what I think is suicide watch. I have been super scared to talk to him in case I make things worse. I hope you have a lot of supportive friends out there who just don't know how to confront the issue and talk to you. I would really love to offer him some help, like see if he wanted some books/magazines to help pass the time, but I just don't know how strange it would be.

I stalked your comment history a bit. I didn't even know a subreddit was dedicated to shiny pokemon until now. Also, how is your kick boxing going? I have found that yoga was great for helping motivate me to stop picking.

Have you considered cutting your hair shorter like a pixie cut, but not shaving it all off. It seemed to work for a bunch of famous people like Emma Watson, Natalie Portman, Jennifer Lawrence and Felicia Day. (Tip #1 for looking good, be attractive; don't be unattractive). Sorry if that is bad advice for a girl**.


I hope this helps even slightly. If you want to talk about anything just PM me. I am a strange 26yo male from Australia.


P.S I use picking/pulling interchangeably because I pull hairs and pick in the same areas (my face) (/cryface).