We seem to have come a long way from inwardly pressing pain of a
migraine with a modality of >> pulling hair to Trichotillomania and
obviously not the same thing.
The pains of Belladonna (anywhere) are usually intense, they will try
anything and everything to get relief and when there is extreme
pressing inward pain on the vertex it seems appropriate to try and pull
that pressure back by pulling the hair up. In that kind of situation
Belladonna seems obvious.
But to answer your question, I would say that we tend to think of
Belladonna as an acute rx that has suddenness and intensity to the sx
and I think you could say that also about Trichotillomania - although a
chronic, on/off kind of situation there will be those times when the
need to pull is intense for a short amount of time, until the
compulsion has been dealt with. In much the same way as a convulsion
occurs with intensity and passes and calms down. This is also a time
that someone who needs Belladonna, during a convulsion, where they will
tear their hair out. So those are the sort of situations that would
render this rx suitable for trichotillomania. Belladonna will also try
to pull other people's hair as well during a frenzied state.
Other rx have been mentioned I think for this condition but each will
have their own circumstances and not all will pertain to
trichotillomania as a compulsion disorder. For example, Cina will do
this during a convulsion (due to worms maybe) and although involuntary
this is not the same as a compulsion, i.e. the driving force is coming
from very different pathologies. Lilium tig will pull the hair because
they experience a wild feeling in the head, either during a headache
that is connected to uterine disorders or because of the emotional
torment they feel regarding themselves (this could develop into a
compulsive disorder). Medorrhinum pulls the hair for similar reasons, a
wild nervous state full of apprehension and desperation - they might
make a link to the hair because the hair of someone needing Medorrhinum
is often very uncomfortable to feel, very itchy and dry and lots of
dandruff so getting rid of the hair seems like a good idea. Such a
nervous rx one can see how compulsions could take a hold. Tuberculinum
are so sensitive they feel any pain as extremely intense and they have
the most awful headaches like Belladonna, deep inside accompanied by a
very sensitive scalp, enough to make you crawl up the wall, literally
and this is why they tear their hair out (mainly) - they can be violent
during these painful times. Much the same with Tarentula, the pain
drives them to pull hair as a diversion from the pain of the headaches
but we know Tarentula to be a destructive and manipulative rx so it
isn't beyond reason to think they would develop a compulsion like hair
pulling as a means of being hateful to others. Cuprum, being a remedy
for convulsions, will pull the hair involuntarily during a convulsion
and not really due to a compulsive disorder. Lachesis hair often falls
out of its own accord and this is part of the 'shedding' skin, the need
to change and be rid of the control in their lives that the hair
represents, they feel better without hair so they pull it out if it
doesn't fall out. Mezereum hair also falls of its own accord but it
will be pulled out also as a diversion from the extreme neuralgic pain
that is experienced such as that you get with Shingles, when it occurs
on the face. The pain goes right up to the skull, burning like fire,
they can hardly move because of the pain so they sit there still as
possible but picking out the hair as if to relinquish one pain for
another. They often don't know they are doing it as they are totally
absorbed. But Mezereum is also a convulsive rx and during a convulsion
there is a need to grasp something tightly and so this might well be
the hair and if so they will try to pull it out.
So, all these rx and others, will have different reasons for pulling
hair. Hope useful, best wishes, Joy
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