A case of trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling) in a young adult is presented. The patient was treated with amitriptyline in progressively increasing dosage, with marked improvement in her symptoms. Amitriptyline has a pharmacological spectrum of action analogous to chlorimipramine, a medication with reputed effectiveness in severe compulsive behaviors. Thus, a rationale for the use of amitriptyline in this and related disorders evolves.
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Scott Snyder (1980) studied this question.