“I’m stronger than my urges. I choose to nurture my hair and my well-being.”
Most often after pulling, the first thought that comes to mind is not, “I am gorgeous,” or “I am strong.” A defined characteristic of trichotillomania is feeling a large amount of mental distress following a pluck. Typically some emotions that come to mind instead are stress, fear, anger, depression, anxiety and sadness. But what if these natural responses are actually causing more pulling to take place?
Fixed vs Growth Mindset
Often what can happen when we ruminate in these negative emotions for too long, we can develop a fixed mindset. This is when we consider our abilities to be unchangeable overtime. When we identify with, “I’m a hair puller, I’ve always been a hair puller, and I’ll always be a hair puller,” on some level if the subconscious believes it, your body does not have the programming to believe if it puts in some effort, it can stop pulling.
Conversely, a growth mindset is the opposite, where we see ourselves as having the power to change our abilities and skills with time and energy. This mindset is where people are able to think, “My hair pulling is not a part of me, it is something I can resolve.” They believe the power is within themselves to become the person they want to be, rather than feeling this was just the lot of cards they were dealt in life.
We can make the decision that we will make efforts to pull less. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but we can set a goal and begin working towards it. If you’ve just committed to begin working towards this goal, whether it's the first time you’ve set one or this is the tenth time, what matters is you are in a growth mindset. The next step is to cultivate emotions of gratitude, resilience, non-judgment and self love.
Law of Attraction
Why does it matter to do this? The Law of Attraction basically states that "positive thoughts attract positive outcomes." This principle is rooted in the idea that our thoughts emit energy, influencing our experiences and interactions with the world around us.
Try it for yourself, say, “I am powerful!” You might feel a burst of energy in your system, or the desire to sit up straighter. That’s because this is a high frequency statement!
When we affirm positive statements such as "I am powerful," we resonate at a higher frequency, aligning ourselves with opportunities and energies that mirror our mindset. The universe responds to these vibrations, sending back experiences and outcomes that resonate with our positive beliefs and intentions. Consequently, our internal dialogue and affirmations play a significant role in shaping our external reality.
Affirmations for Trichotillomania
Affirmations play a giant role in disrupting negative self-talk, rewiring the way we think about ourselves and encouraging us to disengage in behaviors that do not align in this higher frequency. This is because affirmations activate the brain systems engaged with self-related processing and rewards. For trichotillomania, here are some examples of affirmations:
Combatting Urges: I have the strength to resist the urge to pull.
Building Self-Confidence: I am worthy of self love and acceptance
Promoting Healing: I celebrate all victories, big and small.
For any affirmation, make sure to frame it in a way that your body believes and can authentically resonate with. So even if you don’t feel beautiful, then reframe it to, “I am grateful for all the things my body enables me to do.” This could be the ability to go for walks, or painting, or singing. Focus on gratitude, and you will continually find more to be grateful for… after all, you’re attracting it!
Pluck’s Affirmations
Affirmations are one of the three cornerstones to Pluck’s personality. Pluck is an AI software that is trained to detect when you’re pulling, and send a pop-up screen with a replacement behavior and affirmation. The affirmation serves to disrupt any negative thoughts that may arise when being alerted that you were pulling, where it was conscious or unconscious. It also serves to remind you of your internal strength to be able to resist pulling, especially because this can be extra difficult once we’ve already started playing with our eyebrows, eyelashes or scalp hair.
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The important thing to remember is that the power is within us. We have control over our thoughts, and our thoughts attract certain experiences and opportunities into our lives. Release self judgment, nurture a growth mindset, and repeat these affirmations on a daily basis to begin to resolve trichotillomania.