#ec13

Hey there hun.

Having an alter is different for every person. Some people don't know they are there, some people do. Some people can control when their alter 'shows' and some can't. When you have an alter and are aware of it, it's almost like you're sharing your body with someone. When you are with your physical self, they are just sitting back their in your mind watching. They are are there in your mind, waiting for their turn to come out.

The big difference between schizophrenia and have an alter is the ability to 'take over' your body.

With schizophrenia (or just hearing voices in general), they might be in your head, they might try to convince you to do things, but you are always in control of your body. When you have an alter you will go through these moments of dissociation where it's almost like you and your alter have switched placed. Where they're now the ones who are in control of your body and you're the one in your mind sitting back. This can happen when something is triggered (alters most of the time are formed during some sort of traumatic event), or if you know about the alter, you can choose if they show or not.

If you know about your alter, some times you can choose if they come out, sometimes not. If you get triggered you usually don't have a choice, they take over; sometimes you can remember, sometimes you can't. For most people that don't know about their alter, they might have blank periods in their minds when their alter has taken over.

Having an alter is scary, especially if you don't know about them. It's confusing and nothing makes sense. Hearing voices is also very scary, but they can never take control over you body. If you don't know what's going on in your mind then I suggest you talk to someone about it lovely. You can get help for whatever's happening and it will be okay. Take care <3

Hi lovely :)

Trichophagia is the compulsive urge to eat hair, and trichotillomania is the compulsive urge to pull out your hair. However, if just chew your hair and don’t do either of those things, it can still be categorised as a BFRB (body focused repetitive behaviour) just not under a specific name, if that makes sense?

BFRBs can be related to many other disorders. OCD is definitely one, but it can also be a sign of anxiety, depression, autism and others. It doesn’t always have to be related to another disorder, but it is important to speak to a doctor or therapist about this, so they can see if it is due to any underlying problem. And suggest possible treatment options. I made a post here on all the different types of treatment options for BFRBs.

There are some self-help tips you can try as well:

Wear a bandana or hoodie to bed as a barrier to chewing.

Tie your hair up in a ponytail or bun.

Chew gum or suck on sweets so you’re less likely to put your hair in your mouth.

Make a sticker chart. Every day you go without pulling add a sticker. Hang it somewhere you can always see it.

Make small, reasonable goals. Such as ‘I will not chew for the next three hours’, then keep increasing your time.

Reward yourself after going chew free for a length of time you’re proud of.

Stimulate your senses. Many people that pull or chew their hair like the sensation that comes with it, so do other things to stimulate similar sensation, such as washing your hair, brushing dental floss or string on your skin and massaging your scalp.

Avoid caffeine right before bed as it keeps you up and heightens anxiety, which can lead to chewing.

Keep your hands busy. Stress balls, bubble wrap or fidget toys can be really useful.

Keep yourself busy/distracted as much as possible to take your mind off of pulling. Check out our list of distractions if you need help with that.

Brush your hair instead of chewing.

Take a long bath to ease the anxiety.

Take good care of your hair. Appreciating the hair you have will provide you with the courage you need to look after it. This means you should brush your hair daily, wash it every couple of days and try not to expose it to too much heat (hair dryers, straighteners, etc.)

Moisturise your hands so it’s hard to grasp the hair you want to pull.

Meditate.

Tell your friends and family to stop you if they see you chewing.

I hope you’re okay and that this was slightly helpful for you. Be sure to let me know if you have anymore questions! We’re always here for you.

Keep fighting!

Take care and lots of love,

EC13, Street Art.

Abstract street art by EC13 who calls them "expressions of art in space."  See more below!