Q. I'm a 28 year old Australian woman who was diagnosed approximately 2-3 years ago with BPD, Trichotillomania, Major Depression and Anxiety Attacks. I am currently seeing two psychiatrists; one for medication, the other for therapy. I am on Prozac 60mg/day; it has helped with the depression, mood-swings and dysphoria.
I have searched your website and it comes to my attention that Haldol helps with impulsivity and self-mutilation. As Trichotillomania is an Impulse Disorder, do you think Haldol will help with it? Is Trichotillomania related to BPD?
I saw my psychiatrist today, and told him about the research I have been doing. He refuses to put me on Tegretol because he thinks I will overdose on it. He also does not believe that Buspar will help my anxiety; he's had patients on it before and it hasn't helped. He has put me on Haldol, so we'll see how that goes.
I have recently shaved my head because this is the only way I know how to stop me from pulling my hair out. I am desperate. Please help me.
A. I can understand your desperation. I'm obviously not your doctor and don't know all your doses.
The trichotillomania can be due to many causes, but OCD and BPD self mutilation are the most likely, and ADD can account for some of the impulsivity associated with it.
In my experience, haldol never works for the BPD if the individual needs tegretol. In my working theory, during dysphoria the brain "catches fire." Haldol is like a glass of water, tegretol a fire extinguisher, and Risperdal the entire fire department.
Buspar is a sensational medication for the cognitive generalized anxiety disorder, it doesn't treat common anxiety producing disorders such as the BPD, OCPD, and OCD. If the cognitive GAD is present, however, medications like Prozac will often worsen the anxiety related problems unless Buspar is also used. This is the most common use for Buspar in my practice. I have hundreds of patients on Buspar, and it works in an extremely high percentage.