How does hair pulling feel? Arguing with an angle grinder

He leaned over the balcony, the smell of the ocean as powerful as his voice as he shouted down “Can you help us out? We’re trying to do a radio interview here.”

“I’m a contractor”, the man with the angle grinder yelled back, gruffly. “Time is money!”

Softly softly catchy monkey. Alistair was not to be deterred. I was amazed by his confidence and businesslike approach to this out-of-the-ordinary situation. In any profession, overcoming obstacles is important – how would he manage it?

He had travelled from London to Bournemouth to talk to me about my journey with trichotillomania and my approach to treating people who skin pick or pull out their hair. He had three hours in Bournemouth to gather enough information for a teensy segment. I had a lifetime’s experience to condense into 5 minutes. I needed help.

Having negotiated a deal with the dude with the angle-grinder, Alistair explained what he wanted me to show the audience. Confused, I asked “How do you show someone something through the medium of radio?”

“You make them FEEL how you feel, you engage with them in a more verbal format with vivid descriptions.”

I got it! This funny, very presentable and charismatic young man (I’m in my 50s, they don’t come visiting all the time) invited me to conjure up a feeling of compulsive hair pulling in a nutshell. It triggered my emotion.

“Imagine you really love your cat, but it gets under your feet and in a temper, you kick him”, I said … “Then you think why the hell did I do that and you really hate yourself, but before you know it your leg’s gone out and you’ve done it again and again and you just can’t stop. Imagine the build up of that self-hatred, moment after moment. That’s how hair pulling feels!!!”

Do you agree with my description? How do YOU feel when you pull? Can you paint a picture in words? Use the comment box below … Post a comment and I will do my best to respond to each and every one.