A powerful tool for those suffering from trichotillomania is using visualization for eyelash pulling treatments. Also known as “creative visualization” or “guided imagery”, it is a mental rehearsal of an activity, event or experience. It is a technique used by many successful athletes, businessmen and leaders use on a regular basis. Sort of like practicing in your head. Using visualization can help you achieve your goals by increasing confidence and reducing anxiety about the outcome.
It consists of picturing exactly what you want in order to help you get it. The practice has been the object of many studies and is based on the fact that your brain cannot recognize the difference between reality and imagination. So that if you imagine something often and clearly enough the brain will take it as truth and will do everything in its power to treat these visualizations as reality and help you achieve them. You can visualization techniques in your own hair pulling treatment.
“The indispensable first step to getting the things that you want out of life is this: decide what you want.”
– Ben Stein
Visualization can be a great help in trichotillomania treatments and an effective tool for both eyelash and hair pullers.
Guidelines for visualization in treating hair and eyelash pulling:
- Be very clear with exactly what your vision is. See it in as much detail as possible. Include sounds, smells, and your emotions, with as much detail to make it real for your brain as possible. Imagine how you feel as you go out without any make up on, as someone compliments you on your beautiful eyes or hair. Remember – you are programming your brain to achieve whatever you are picturing, so make it good.
- Visualize in an active, present tense. ‘I am proud hearing a person compliment me on my beautiful hair.’ rather than ‘I would be happy if…, or ‘I am happy that I have beautiful luxurious hair.’, rather than ‘When I don’t have any more bald spots I will be happy…’.
- When a negative thought comes in to quash your vision isolate the thought, turn it into black and white, cut the sound off, reduce it to a speck and then imagine blowing the negative thought away.
- Visualize on a daily basis. When you get up in the morning and before you go to sleep. Consider putting together a vision board, full of images and quotes that will inspire you when you contemplate it.
- Include every detail in your life, not just your hair pulling goals. Imagine the house you live in, the holidays you take, the time you spend with your friends, a full life like you want to live it.
- Remember – the sky is the limit. The more you wish for, the more you will get. If you can’t even imagine success, then it is sure that it will elude you.
- Fill out a chart with goals to get started (more charts are included in the Trich Stop Manual). Be sure each goal is measurable, detailed and has a time limit.
Research further with resources such as Mindfulness for OCD conditions.
Time and again visualization has been proven a valuable free resource, so tap into it.
