Complications may include: Emotional distress. Many people with trichotillomania report feeling shame, humiliation and embarrassment. They may experience low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, and alcohol or street drug use because of their condition.

How does trichotillomania affect the brain?

The results of the analysis, published in Brain Imaging and Behaviour in June, show that patients with trichotillomania have increased thickness in regions of the frontal cortex involved in suppression of motor responses: the right inferior frontal gyrus (rIFG) and other nearby brain regions.

Is trichotillomania really a mental disorder?

Trichotillomania was previously classified as an impulse control disorder but is now considered an obsessive-compulsive related disorder in the latest version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Version 5 (DS-5, American Psychiatric Association).