As I quickly approach 100 episodes, I'm excited to look back on how Trich Talks: The Podcast came to be and how it ultimately changed my life.
In December 2020, I knew I wanted to bring more awareness to trichotillomania. At that point in my life I was showing my face on social media, had been sharing stories from other people on my instagram @thetrichsterdiaries (at first only on my story but then as posts with colorful wreaths), had published The Trichster Diaries, was working on a guided journal, and creating as much content and conversation around trichotillomania as I could. Anddddd even with all of that I thought, What's next?
Trich Talks of course! But it wasn't a podcast then.
Let us quickly address the elephant in the room... MY HAIR?! That is my natural hair color and those bangs are mine BUT I was wearing a ton of tape-in hair extensions so all of that thickness and length was not. At the time I was loving it. It's fun to experiment with hair, isn't it?
From the video you learned that my first episodes were on Instagram Live! I still have those videos on @thetrichsterdiaries and it is so cute to rewatch them! I'm blushing and nervous and trying my best to make sure my guests are comfortable and also that the conversation flows. I'm the same way now just with a little less blushing and nerves.
After some time a fellow trichster urged me to make Trich Talks a podcast they could listen to instead of something they had to watch. It made total sense. No one really wants to watch something on their phone for an hour - making their phone unusable. Instead it would be better for people if they could listen while driving, walking their dog, cleaning the house, etc. The Trich Talks podcast was born.
The purpose of Trich Talks was to spread awareness and allow others to feel the same lightness and freedom I felt after sharing my own story. What I didn't realize (silly me) was that my life would change by hearing these stories. I went from someone who grew up knowing absolutely no one else with trichotillomania to someone who has spoken to almost 100 different people with it from all over the world! Just that alone is mind-blowing. I got to speak to people just like me over and over again. Wasn't I just the luckiest?
Here is what I've learned:
Everyone feels better after sharing their story.
By sharing our story with the world we show others it is okay to be vulnerable.
We are more similar than we think.
Almost all of us believed we were the only ones.
Almost all of us believed we were inherently bad because of our BFRB.
Once we found people like us we felt at home for (arguably) the first time.
Once we started sharing our story it became hard to stop.
We've tried a ton of interventions and can list what has worked and what hasn't.
We've never met someone with a BFRB we didn't like.
Here is how all of that changed my life:
I've loved meeting others in the BFRB community and I want to interview everyone! So I reach out to people all the time! I am constantly talking to someone in the community and it is the best feeling ever.
I have made friends with mostly all of my guests! I say mostly because sometimes people take social media breaks or step away permanently from their accounts but I know if/when they come back on we can pick up right where we left off. I've even met some of my guests in real life! That'll be for another blog post but WOW, that was SO COOL!
I have a better understanding of BFRBs because of the differences between my guests and myself. When someone asks me a question that doesn't necessarily relate to me I can confidently say, "I don't but I know someone who does!"
The immense gratitude I feel every single time someone comes on the show. Even though we know sharing our stories will make us feel better it is still really hard! I'm honored to be the one to hear it and share it. I'll never take that for granted.
The last question I ask my guests is, "Is there anything I haven't asked you that you'd like to share before we wrap up?" and as I finish up this blog post I will answer that.
I first want to thank every single one of my guests for coming on Trich Talks, the listeners that grow more and more each year, and HabitAware who believes in Trich Talks so much they became a sponsor.
I also want to say that although sharing your story will heal you and those around you it doesn't mean you have to share it. Everyone's journey looks different and if yours doesn't include sharing your story that's fine! But if it ever does, I'd love to have you on the show.
Quick Links: