The emotional roller coaster is tough one to ride, it can take us all over the place... what you've described is very usual in ali-p world.

For years I used to get so angry with myself, why am not coping now, why do I find it hard, should be used to it by now and any variation on the theme you can think of.

The answer only came to me in recent times... it was pointed out to me, we have a condition which doesn't have many definites, the cause is unknown, the 'cures' available are only possibles, and there is little the docs can offer us and we have to deal with it and life usually without any guidance of exactly how to do that.   That's a very big ask of anyone.  And its an even bigger ask that we do this 24/7 for the duration.

So finding it frustrating/difficult to cope with at times, even after you think you've got it worked out, is very usual.  Expecting to manage this all the time is just an unrealistic expectation.  As was told to me, given all the above circumstances why on earth do you think you could cope every minute of every day.  Phew what a relief that was.... odd thing to say - but suddenly I realised I was pushing the snowball uphill, trying to do the impossible and being totally unreal.

We simply don't manage this all the time.  Even those long term.  What happens is that the difficult times get further and further apart, we might struggle for a shorter time - but we still have moments when its plain difficult.  That is what you need to realise, its just a moment, a hiccup, it will pass and you are OK, and you are still managing being an alopecian.

And for when its tough and you need to pour out the worries, there's the forum.

 

 

I got alopecia around 18 months ago through the stress of going to university so I've had some time to live with everything that's going on but I figured it was time to try and meet some other people who are in the same boat. As a guy who used to have rather long hair I went from devastated to very angry to accepting what had happened and for the most part I've got on with things ever since. Recently gotten frustrated again with the whole thing and not too sure why. It would be nice to talk to some people and hear your stories - I know I'm not the only person with it but as I know no-one else with alopecia I find it hard to talk to other people about it.

CT