Raising a child with OCD and trichotillomania
Three chapters. One family learning in real time.
I did not begin this journey with expertise. I began as a dad who loved his daughter and still misunderstood much of what she was facing.
These three stories trace what our family learned: moving beyond the stereotypes, staying close through a frightening season of intrusive thoughts, and recognizing courage in the middle of college, treatment, and change.
The path through these stories
This is our family’s lived experience—not therapy or medical advice. We share it to raise awareness, reduce shame, and help other families feel less alone. Another person’s experience may look very different.
A note before you read
Take these stories at your own pace.
The second and third chapters discuss intense OCD symptoms, intrusive thoughts, emotional distress, hair pulling, and treatment from a parent’s point of view. You can pause, skip a chapter, or begin with the learning pages instead.
Read in order
The three chapters of our story so far.
Begin with chapter one, or choose the part of the journey that speaks to what brought you here. The original stories remain in Michael’s words.
Chapter one · February 2025
What’s Trich? Unraveling the Truth About OCD & Trichotillomania
Michael looks back at the assumptions he carried into Kayla’s diagnosis, the guilt of not knowing, and the shift from asking “Why can’t she stop?” to “How can I help?”
Read chapter oneChapter two · April 2025
Into the Darkest Depths: Battling OCD and Intrusive Thoughts
One hard night, a quiet sentence—“Dad, I’m tired”—and the small family ritual that offered a pocket of connection when OCD was at its loudest.
Content note: intense OCD symptoms, intrusive thoughts, and emotional distress.
Read chapter twoChapter three · May 2025
Surviving OCD and Trichotillomania at F.I.T.: Rare Courage Under Fire
Kayla’s first semester at F.I.T. tested everything at once. This chapter centers the courage it took to keep showing up while OCD and trichotillomania were at their most demanding.
Content note: severe symptoms, hair pulling, emotional distress, and treatment.
Read chapter threeThe family timeline
Understanding came in stages.
Before diagnosis
We saw behaviors before we understood them.
Early signs of hair pulling were easy to mistake for a habit. Without the right language, concern sometimes came out as frustration.
Learning and unlearning
The stereotypes stopped fitting.
OCD was not about neatness, and trichotillomania was not a simple choice. Learning that changed the questions Michael asked and the support he tried to offer.
College transition
A new beginning brought a difficult season.
As Kayla began college and formal art training, symptoms intensified. The family learned to notice courage in showing up, not only in feeling better.
Why we share
Awareness can make the next family’s first step less lonely.
Our story is still unfolding. Sharing it cannot supply every answer, but it can replace silence and shame with more honest conversation.
What we understand differently now
What raising a child with OCD and trichotillomania taught us.
These are family reflections, not instructions for someone else’s care.
01 · Change the question
Curiosity makes more room than judgment.
Moving from “Why can’t you stop?” toward “How can I support you?” changed the tone of our home, even when it could not change a symptom.
02 · Notice the person
No one is the condition they are facing.
OCD, intrusive thoughts, and pulling urges can take up enormous space. They still do not describe the whole person living through them.
03 · Widen the view
Progress is rarely a straight line.
A hard day does not erase what came before it. Sometimes progress looks like one class attended, one honest conversation, or one small moment of peace.
04 · Keep learning
Parents can repair as they understand more.
We cannot change what we did not know. We can listen, learn, apologize when needed, and respond with more compassion the next time.
Creativity along the way
Art remained part of Kayla’s story.
Animation helped guide our college search, and art remained one of the places where Kayla could feel most like herself. Her creative path belongs here too—gently, and on her terms.
This is one thread in a much larger story: not a distraction from the struggle, and never a demand that creativity turn pain into something polished.
A quiet creative threadArt · Animation
& a place to create
Continue with context
Stories can open the door. Clear information helps us keep learning.
If you are raising a child with OCD and trichotillomania, visit the learning hub for plain-language awareness, or explore trusted resources for qualified organizations and professional guidance.
Awareness, not clinical care. What’s the Trich shares lived family experience and educational content. It does not provide therapy, diagnosis, or medical advice.