My Problem with Trichotillomania

Plot

Is the problem of trichotillomania only skin deep? This film explores how hair pulling is related to mental health.

Genres

Still Image Narrative, Documentary, Memoir

Credits

Director: Acacia

Editor: Acacia

Artist Statement

For a few years now I have struggled to share this film beyond the classroom it was intended for. It not only reveals details about myself I try to push aside, but interrogates some of the deepest resentments I hold against my parents. It is one of my most personal works to-date. It’s creation spurred self-exploration of the reasons I harbor guilt and a newfound break in my relationship with my parents which I am still looking for ways to heal.

Upon its presentation at Vassar in 2017, Shane Omar Slattery-Quintanilla (an Emmy-nominated filmmaker and Assistant Professor at Vassar College) said that it was deeply affecting and although specific, the film grappled with universal problems. He applauded the raw voiceover – segments of 2+ hours of unfiltered thoughts on the topic. He also noted that the repetition in the still images brought new meaning and life to the images. He encouraged me to share it broadly, but at the time I was scared of backlash and didn’t feel comfortable with such public declorations. But if time doesn’t heal, it at least makes things sting less. Therefore, I am proud to publically present My Problem with Trichotillomania.