About
Morag
Stevenson
About
Morag
Stevenson
Trichtoillomania Recovery Stories
On this page, you can listen to or read the testimonies of clients who have completed the Headstrong Free yourself from Trichotillomania Programme
Bec Djapovic
(Queenlsand,Australia)
Bec has gained control after 28 years of hair pulling
Sarena
(Vancouver Canada)
Sarena had been pulling her lashes and brows for years
Kate Darpino
(New York State USA)
Discover Kate's experience on the Headstrong Programme
Sabina Hoffman
(USA)
Sabina had tried to stop pulling on her own but nothing worked
Sude
(Berlin, Germany)
I just wanted to post this to everyone who is struggling with trichotillomania and thinks that there is no hope because I also thought that I wouldn’t be truly free from this ever.
I started Morag’s programme a few months ago and today was our last session. I can honestly say I didn’t feel this confident ever since I was dealing with trich and she really helped me a lot. I honestly write this message from the bottom of my heart because although you think that you can’t be free from it, she showed me you actually can.
My hair was not this long for years and I tried countless therapies and nothing seemed to work. Trich came back no matter what until I started this programme. It was different than all the other therapies because she gives you actual tools to overcome it.
I’m not saying it’ll go away magically, you have to have motivation for it but you literally can do this if you decide to invest in your future self, regain your self-confidence and let Morag give you the tools. There is HOPE.
Sincerely,
Sude
Jo Tilley
(Cardiff, Wales)
Pulling out her hair and eyebrows was such a long-standing habit that Jo had no hope things might change. Then the unthinkable happened.
Beck Bloom
(UK)
I have just completed Morag’s 1:1 online course and thought I’d share my experience.
Trich has been in my life since I was 18 and I’ve just turned 50. The debilitating constant battle has plagued me my whole adult life. A few times I managed to get control and find some semblance of normality but as soon as a challenging situation came along, I went back to pulling as a coping mechanism.
The last five years have been particularly difficult. I just gave in to it, buzzed my hair off and wore a wig. As I approached my 50th birthday I joined Morag’s group.* Her positive messages appealed to me and after a few months, I thought maybe she was the person who could help me finally beat the monster.
I have had various therapies over the years, hair systems, CBT for anxiety, read every book but nothing had worked in the long term, willpower alone just wasn’t enough.
She expertly guided me through building awareness of my habit – when, where, how and why I pulled. It was quite overwhelming to begin with but the tools she provided were wonderful at calming my frenetic mind. She encouraged creating healthier routines to build a more positive mindset.
She is a warm and friendly person and even when the work you do is emotionally exhausting there is lots of laughter. I revealed things to her during our Zoom meetings I had not told anyone – strange habits and thoughts that as a Trich sufferer you think make you an oddball.
As the weeks went by I felt my urges subside. I found lightness in life and saw just how closed off I had been. Fearful of everything, socially anxious, avoidant of any activity that might reveal my secret, Trich really had taken so much from me.
I am a happily married mum of two young men which I feel is a particular achievement with the burden of Trich. I have somehow been able to nuture my family whilst feeling in immense personal pain at this strange and lonely habit that robbed me of my feminity. I viewed everything in life through the filter of Trich – every decision I made was from this perspective. Jobs I chose, places or people I would avoid, checking the weather obsessively for rain or wind, avoiding swimming, declining invitations where people may notice my wig. I told very few people over the years, just said I suffered hair loss and that I didn’t like to talk about it. I found it hard to build and maintain close female relationships as I feared this intimacy and possible judgement. Trich was so intertwined in my life I could no longer see the ‘me’ without it.
My journey with Morag started a few months ago and I have had a couple of blips in that time, something that Morag suggests can be beneficial. It gave me a chance to use the tools and new skills she teaches to combat the thoughts that lead to urges. My last blip dealing with an elderly relative was tough and before Morag I would have just given in, pulled most of my hair out and got caught in the self-hate trap. The difference this time was I knew how to dust myself off and get back to the practices that build resilience. I did not allow the blip to derail me and I did not indulge in fatalist thinking of ‘I’ve pulled a bit now I may as well just carry on’.
My hair is regrowing, the crown is slow to recover but I’m hopeful given enough time it too will improve. I am enjoying caring for my new hair instead of punishing it by pulling it out. I have a positive feeling about my hair instead of shame and it is wonderful I can look at myself in the mirror again. I am starting to do all the things that Trich had prevented – water activities like kayaking and paddle boarding, saying yes to meeting with friends, going out in the wind and the rain. Most importantly I am making decisions without the Trich filter, finally.
If you are considering taking Morag’s course then I would highly recommend it. If you find Trich as paralysing as I did then, like me, you can learn to manage it. Morag will show you the way if you are prepared to put the work in. I found her to have a rare understanding of the mindset of someone with Trich and thank her for creating the programme, it really is life changing.
* This is the link to the Facebook group that Beck mentions Headstrong
Sherryl
(Central Coast, Australia)
"I would just like to tell you of my testimony for the wonderful support, encouragement, and the most helpful tools that Morag has given me to actually stop my pulling and bring so much joy and freedom back into my life by breaking free of this very destructive habit/condition.
I pulled for over 40 years staring with my eyelashes then eyebrows then scalp and arms. I thought I was on a never-ending spiral of never being able to wear my hair out or dive into the ocean ever again.
Then I came across Morag and the wonderful, strategic, and very targeted programme that she has developed to help people with Tricho. I live in Australia and have not found anything that is totally focused for people with this condition.
I can totally recommend and encourage anyone who is struggling with Trichotillomania to participate and work with Morag to conquer your Tricho as I did. I am pull-free now. My hair is now totally covering my scalp and continuing to grow as are my eyelashes and eyebrows. The latter two are taking a little longer I think due to the prolonged time of my pulling but they are now there.
After all these years of embarrassment, self-sabotage, and low self-esteem with this issue, I am soooo grateful to Morag and her work and encouragement.You are such a blessing Morag,thank you so very much for your work to support all of us and give us a workable solution for Trichotillimania".
Ally Grant
(Missouri, USA)
Ally's confidence has gone through the roof now that she no longer pulls her eyebrows and eyelashes!
Emma Frutkin
(USA)
I am so grateful for the help and support that I received from Morag. She provided a safe and non-judgmental space for me to explore and work through my struggles with hair-pulling. Her expertise, kindness, and empathy helped me to better understand my condition and develop effective coping strategies. Thanks to her guidance, I have made significant progress in managing my trichotillomania and improving my overall well-being. I highly recommend her services to anyone who is seeking help and support in dealing with this challenging disorder.