Effects on anxiety

Related to that last post, a few thoughts on anxiety.

I have trichotillomania (or "trich"), an anxiety disorder that manifests itself as the compulsive pulling out of hair, sometimes to the point of bald patches. I developed it when my mother died, and I've been pulling out the hairs in my beard ever since. For me, I pull in two specific spots on either side of my chin ... if you see me at a time when I'm under alot of stress or feeling particularly anxious, you might think I have headlights, because I have these two bald spots in an otherwise dark beard.

I'm curious to see how my wife's pregnancy will affect my anxiety and my trich. Perhaps with this new sense of responsibility and purpose, I'll feel less anxious. On the other hand, perhaps the freaked-outedness of impending fatherhood will have me picking at my beard so hard that my current, rather small, beard headlights will be replaced with a set of massive SUV-worthy halogens. I'll have to keep track of this.