For these past few months, I gained a strange habit I never had a problem with in my lifetime; I've been ripping out my eyebrows. Not painfully, I'll slowly rip out one hair at a time, and now my eyebrows are messed up and silly looking.

My boyfriend notices that I usually do this when I watch tv or a movie(but this isnt the only case), which doesn't consume much of my time. But I don't notice I'm doing this, and I can't seem to stop, and I have to have someone else keep an eye on me, but I'll always go back to doing it.

Does anyone have any idea what might have triggered this strange habit or things that might help stop this? I've literally ripped out half of my eyebrows, and its honestly starting to get embarassing D:

Humm.

I'm kinda OCD so I have a LOT of annoying habits like this.

Best thing you can do is try to find something else to occupy your hands when you feel the need to fidget or pick something.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania I know a girl with this compulsion, and she's almost bald. People who compulsively pull their hair out, if it's eyebrows or the hair on their head, sometimes also feel the need to eat it. I read once about this girl who complained about stomach pain and when the doctors finally got around to cutting her open, they found this immense lump of hair in her belly.

This is a real problem to many people, and I think you should see a doctor of the problem continues.

Originally Posted by Stormlick

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trichotillomania I know a girl with this compulsion, and she's almost bald. People who compulsively pull their hair out, if it's eyebrows or the hair on their head, sometimes also feel the need to eat it. I read once about this girl who complained about stomach pain and when the doctors finally got around to cutting her open, they found this immense lump of hair in her belly.

This is a real problem to many people, and I think you should see a doctor of the problem continues.

Well, I haven't felt the urge to eat it or anything like that. I apparently look at it and just throw it away. o_o

I recently just got the exact same habit! Wow!
I just pull out a little eyebrow hair, look and see how much, then throw it away. I really have no idea what started it.
For me, it usually happens when I'm on the computer and only using one hand.

I really don't know what started it, either...

That's what my dad does, especially when watching tv or just sat somewhere daydreaming.
Maybe have something like a stress-ball that feels fun to mess with in your hands?

I don't think eating it has to be a part of the compulsion, for it to be diagnosed as trichotillomania. But it seems like a lot of people have this problem, so maybe it's just another weird .. behaviour? I've never felt a need to pull out my eyebrows, except for tweezing it to avoid a unibrow lol. Good luck, anyways!

: - \ Just try to do something busy like your favorite activity to keep you from doing that. And it's a habit so it's hard to stop.

I agree with everyone. Habits are habits. Habits are hard to break, and so that's why it's a habit. I've been biting my lip, and sucking on my thumb some times when I have nothing else to do. It's just my habit, and I also do that when I am nervous, too. Don't worry, everyone has their habits. If you think this is really getting serious, trying talking to your parents about it, and if they can't seem to do anything about it, try consulting it to a doctor. They might be able to help!

Originally Posted by Pancakie

I agree with everyone. Habits are habits. Habits are hard to break, and so that's why it's a habit. I've been biting my lip, and sucking on my thumb some times when I have nothing else to do. It's just my habit, and I also do that when I am nervous, too. Don't worry, everyone has their habits. If you think this is really getting serious, trying talking to your parents about it, and if they can't seem to do anything about it, try consulting it to a doctor. They might be able to help!

I've tried talking to my mother about it, and she just tells me to "stop it" which I've tried plenty of times >.>

Try having something in your hands when you feel the need to do something (figdety-wise). Having a stress-ball like what lunanuova said. Or like even silly-putty, something you can squish constantly.

Or you can do something silly, like write on your hand on both or either sides that says "NO!". I don't know, if there's like no one there to stop you.

I might take on the stress ball idea, if I can find one o:

Thanks for the tips guys (:

I knew some one who did that, she only did it at school to keep her hands busy when she was done her home work. like every one else has said, do something to keep you hands busy for 30 days or so and then the habit may stop, I had a habit of chewing my nails but its slowly stopping, I only do that when Im nervous or I am hungry.