Alternatively: apply any glue to the surface, let it dry, then peel. This is not reusable, but may feel more like skin. To clean, rinse and scrub well.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ā¢ No registration required ā¢ HD streaming
Bought a basketball to show Thyme what is making those alarming noises in the park.
Just some classic counterconditioning with reinforcement via play to change his feelings about the sound and some good olā desensitisation by way of familiarity.
Last week, I got as needed anxiety pills for Cyrus so that we could work on training without an immediate reaction to the sight of a dog. I gave him one today because itās a sunny day and thus a good day to encounter dogs for counter conditioning.
He did great. Noticing the dog and then doing something else.
He did especially good with a puppy whose owner also seemed to be practicing ignoring us. It barked once and then the owner started managing its attention. Cyrus was pretty calm about this.
He only got upset after watching an off leash dog play with a ball for a while. Itās owner was walking towards us and the dog was running back and forth so it was moving a lot and coming towards us a lot od the time.
He barked after watching alert for a while, but only barked twice and then went back to normal when we walked inside.
Lucaās nervous around men so when I started walking him last year, thatās one of the things that I really wanted to work on with him. I used counterconditioning and desensitization to get him used to ME when I first met him and now heās my BFF--he lets me snuggle him, always demands cuddles and treats, and most importantly, he trusts me.
Thanks to all my training plus my boyfriend being a willing helper, Luca is a LOT less nervous around men. He actually went up to three different guys and demanded pets! I was so happy I wanted to cry.
Iām always interested in discussions of counterconditioning because of Boscoās dog aggression. The entire post is really interesting but hereās a quotation from the case study of a dog that had a fear of horses. The horse case study reminded me of the method that Boscoās breeder had us do early on when we were working on Boscoās dog aggression (ie. no food/toy rewards were given to Bosco during the training piece).
Instead, Bonnie wasnāt getting better because she hadnāt actually been allowed to heal. Bonnie had experienced a trauma regarding horses, this fear didnāt just pop up out of the blue. Because sheās utterly obsessed with a game of ball, she not only got closer to the horses than she wanted to be, but she essentially blocked them from her mind. Simply removing the ball didnāt do the trick either; training for food is one of Bonnieās preferred activities and so she shut the horses out then too, going into ātraining mode.ā She appeared trained, but she had not transformed.
When I suggested to Tasha that she allow Bonnie to just look at horses, to just let her observe them from whatever distance she chose, things really started to turn around. No more highly-valued reinforcers, just a long line and a harness, and as much space as Bonnie needed to feel safe. Today she can accompany Tasha at the barn without incident, which is pretty miraculous.
The discussion of this post on my friendās FB wall was also interesting. A few people appeared to be entrenched in the belief that counterconditioning *only* fails if it isnāt correctly executed and looked to pick at Sarahās post.
Anya is live and ready to show you everything. Watch her strip, dance, and perform exclusive shows just for you. Interact in real-time and make your fantasies come true.
ā Live Streamingā Interactive Chatā Private Showsā HD Quality
Anya is LIVE right now
FREE
Free to watch ā¢ No registration required ā¢ HD streaming
I wish I had done this one sooner, but it is NOT TOO SOON to start preparing for New Year's Eve or whatever the next big public holiday is. Thank you to Sarah Owings and Yvette Van Veen for inspiring...
I donāt like my original post-- the list was really short and I mistakenly used ableist language. So I've redone the whole post!Ā
Trichotillomania is a psychological disorder in which a person compulsively pulls their body hair. As a mild dermatillomaniac, I get some of the struggles trichotillomaniacs face and wanted to be more help.
I am neither a trichotillomaniac nor a professional-- I just want to provide some options based in both experience and reasoning!
Any stim that preoccupies your fingers so that they cannot pull is good-- but these options are specifically meant to replace, curb, or prevent pulling.
Long post featuring 7 photos below!
1) Hats
Any hat works because (a) it directly blocks your ability to pull head hair and (b) it passes as normal clothes. Also conceals any scalp damage. Bonus points if the hat is stimmy in some way (e.g. weighted for sensory input, furry for pulling, etc)!Ā
2) Pipe cleaners
Pull the fuzz out for a hair-pulling sensation. It's cheap and lasts a little while, and you're left with a metal wire when you're done-- could be used for art projects or a twisty stim tool on its own!
4) Silicone brushie
Pick at the bristles. The gentler you are about it, the longer it will last you. Once youāve pulled out every bristle, it's still stimmy to rub and bend. You can pour glitter in between the bristles and pick the granules out or pour any glue onto it and peel that away once dried, which might provide a similar sensation.
4) Hairy tangle
Pick and pull at the bristles. The gentler you are about it, the longer it will last you. Once you pull off every last bristle, youāve still got a functional tangle!Ā
5) Gloves/sleeves
Like hats, gloves would block your ability to pull and be a discreet fashion piece. Pick fashionable ones youād be willing to wear often that wouldnāt likely be confiscated! Consider getting long sleeve gloves if you pull at your arm hairs. Bonus if you get a stimmy pair with flippy sequins, weight, scalemaille, fur to pull, etc!
6) Grass
Head outside and pull blades of grass from the ground. One-by-one or a few at once. If youāre allergic, use a patch of fake grass from Home Depot
7) Scrap fur
Though you may need to replace it regularly, a piece of scrap fur -- ethically sourced or faux -- could go a long way pulling hair that isn't your own. Mind any allergies. Readily available if youāre a hunter!
8) Finger guards
The kinds for gardening, playing guitar, cutting veggies, or counting money. They would NOT be discreet, but they would definitely block pulling, and many are textured too!
9) Long socks
Same concept as hats and gloves: blocks you from pulling, discreet, and can be stimmy themselves. But unlike hats and gloves, which can be socially inappropriate sometimes, itās very unlikely that someone would challenge you on your socks.
10) Felt
Felt is fuzzy perpetually, no matter how much you pull or trim it away. Get a piece of felt and pull it apart! With enough pulling youād eventually be rid of the entire piece, but it should still last awhile even if itās just an 8x11 sheet.
11) Knitting, crocheting, quilting, cross-stitching, embroidering, needlefelting, or sewingĀ
These are fine motor activities that will preoccupy your hands heavily. They all require pulling motions with thin strands that may emulate hair-pulling!
If it doesnāt sate you, yarn is a lot like felt in the way it'a constantly fuzzy and can be pulled at too.Ā
12) Velcro
Pull at the littleĀ ābristlesā or just repeatedly stickĀ āem together and pullĀ āem apart!
13) Hair samples
Invest in some hair samples and pull at those instead of your own hair. More info about where to get them under #36 here.Ā
14) Hedge/koosh balls
Similar idea to the hairy tangle and the silicone brushie: pull or pick at them instead of your hair! Theyāre super cheap on online retailers like eBay and Etsy or at @stimtasticā edit: Stimtastic is no longer an active business.):
15) Fine-toothed comb
When you catch yourself pulling or having the urge, instead brush the area gently enough that you arenāt ripping hair out.
16) Makeup brushes
Makeup brushes are pretty easy to access, especially if youāre openly a woman or come across as one (getting makeup stuff would be expected, not questioned, even encouraged). Pull the hairs out! Plus, sets often come with foamy sponge and silicone pieces, which are also stimmy
Thanks for reading, and I hope this helps somebody!
Today we trained with a dog at a distance, and I accident dropped bacon, which Cyrus had to ignore, and he did so unwillingly but valiantly. I'm sitting on the far end of the cafeteria because I saw the ESA go up the stairs to the cafeteria and not come down (that was the dog Cyrus saw at a distance), so it might be here, but we haven't had any problems so far. I'm also eating scrambled eggs for the first time since my gastric emptying study. Wish me luck!
