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A narrative approach to trichotillomania

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 September 2022

J. Gonçalves Cerejeira*
Affiliation:
Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Psychiatry, Valladolid, Spain
I. Santos Carrasco
Affiliation:
Clinical Hospital of Valladolid, Psychiatry, Valladolid, Spain
A. Gonzaga Ramírez
Affiliation:
Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Psychiatry, Valladolid, Spain
M. Queipo De Llano De La Viuda
Affiliation:
Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Psychiatry, Valladolid, Spain
G. Guerra Valera
Affiliation:
Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Psychiatry, Valladolid, Spain
C. De Andrés Lobo
Affiliation:
Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Psychiatry, Valladolid, Spain
T. Jiménez Aparicio
Affiliation:
Hospital Clínico Universitario de Valladolid, Psychiatry, Valladolid, Spain
*
*Corresponding author.

Abstract

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Introduction

Trichotillomania is an obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorder characterized by recurrent and uncontrolled hair pulling. This behavior causes significant anxiety as well as low self-esteem in people who suffer from this disorder. There is still no therapy of proven efficacy in the treatment of trichotillomania. Psychotropic drugs and cognitive behavioral psychotherapy have been tried in the management of this disease, but the relapse rate is high. Narrative therapy is an innovative type of postmodern psychotherapy and in our literary search we have not found data related to its use in the treatment of trichotillomania.

Objectives

To present a novel therapeutic approach to a highly resistant disorder, trichotillomania.

Methods

Case report and literature review.

Results

We present a case of a 39-year-old woman diagnosed with trichoticolomania twenty years earlier. She tried several types of psychotherapies for manage her hair-pulling problem, all related with relapse only a few days after finishing the sessions. We have carried out a total of 5 narrative therapy sessions spread over 3 months. No relapses have been observed during the subsequent 9-month follow-up period.

Conclusions

Based on our experience, we believe that Narrative Therapy is a good and still unexplored alternative for people diagnosed with trichotillomania.

Disclosure

No significant relationships.

Type
Abstract
Creative Commons
Creative Common License - CCCreative Common License - BY
This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution licence (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted re-use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Copyright
© The Author(s), 2022. Published by Cambridge University Press on behalf of the European Psychiatric Association
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