The Hair-Pulling Problem: A Complete Guide to Trichotillomania

by Fred Penzel

Trichotillomania, one of the family of obsessive-compulsive disorders, may afflict as many as 6 to 8 million people in the United States. Now, a leading authority on obsessive-compulsive disorders, Dr. Fred Penzel, has written the most up-to-date, comprehensive, and authoritative guide to this syndrome available, filled with reassuring advice for patients and their families. Endorsed by the Trichotillomania Learning Center, the leading advocate group for this disorder, this superb handbook includes all the information a patient or relative would need to understand this illness and to cope with it. Penzel provides a detailed discussion of causes and he reviews all the treatment options, describing the most effective medications and their side effects as well as the recommended cognitive and behavioral treatments. He shows patients how to design a self-help program and gain control of their compulsive behavior, how to prevent relapse, describes trichotillomania and its treatment in children, and suggests coping strategies for families at home and in public situations. He also provides a guide to all the resources available, including internet sites, recommended books, and videos, and outlines ways to start a support group. The appendix will include questionnaires, clinical rating scales, and the official DSM diagnostic criteria for the disorder, so readers can decide if they need to seek behavioral and possibly medical treatment. Dr. Penzel has helped patients with OCD and trichotillomania for over twenty years and is one of America's leading authorities on these disorders. Drawing on decades of hands-on experience, he has produced the most complete and scientifically accurate handbook available on this disorder, a comforting guide packed with information to help people with trichotillomania get well and stay well.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health

384 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2003

Reviews

[Danae T. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has helped me immensely to better understand trichotillomania. It contains detailed instructions on Habit Reversal Therapy but what helped me the most was the chapter on acceptance and maintenance. I am revisiting it often.

[Leahlady · Rating 4 out of 5]

Best info I've found on this topic so far. It approaches the subject from multiple angles, & the re-training suggestions are multi-faceted, as they should be for such a complex & misunderstood disorder.

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful

[Mashael Alkharji · Rating 5 out of 5]

great book

[Simone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful clinical strategies

[Hellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on the topic of trichotillomania for all different kinds of audiences. Very informative and includes besides a lot of information and personal stories from sufferers, several questionnaires and a Habit Reversal treatment plan (in a form so it can be used by the reader of the book, either for him/herself, a client, or a loved one).

I was most impressed by the chapter that gives an overview of current theories on the source of trichotillomania, and one of the last chapters, which is a chapter on how to work with trichotillomania in children. The last one is not just important for parents and teachers to read, but also for adults who suffer from trichotillomania. They'll probably recognize parts of it from their own childhood. This makes it possible to identify the course of the disorder during the earlier years, which can help while working with HR.