I'm writing this as the year ticks over from 2002 to 2003 (well not exactly at midnight on 31st December ... I'm not THAT sad!) but what better time to purchase a journal or a diary.

This may sound completely obvious but I'm always amazed at the number of people who don't keep a record of their menstrual cycle, so if you are female, please do so in your journal. If you are male, and you have a menstrual cycle, please call the newspapers, they would love to hear from you!

Also in your journal keep a record of everything you possibly can, such as what you eat, how high your urges are that day etc. For many people the key to controlling their pulling is not to eat certain foods and to get plenty of sleep. It really CAN be that simple. Your diary will be your own diagnostic tool in finding out what happened on particular days when your urges were highest.

Keep the journal for a month, then look back over the month and try to compare the data - seeing if your urges were always highest, for instance on a Monday. If so, then your pulling is most likely to be stress related and you can learn to adjust your life accordingly. If your pulling is always highest on a Friday evening, it might be tiredness which is triggering it and you might want to take some Melatonin to help you get more sleep.

If you notice any patterns but can't quite understand them, then e-mail patterns@trichotillomania.co.uk and I'll see if I can help.