Marni: My True Story of Stress, Hair-Pulling, and Other Obsessions (Louder Than Words)

Marni pulls. Pulls her hair, that is.

Unable to deal with the mounting stress at home, in school, and with friends, Marni's compulsion to pluck out her eyebrows, eyelashes . . . even the hair from the top of her head, helped her to quiet her mind and escape the pressures of the world around her.

Marni first began pulling the summer just before entering high school, and she was immediately hooked. Unfortunately, by the time she discovered that her habit was an actual disorder—trichotillomania or "trich"—it was way too late. "When I stared at the mirror and tried to recognize the girl without eyebrows, eyelashes, and bangs as myself and failed, I knew something had gone horribly wrong."

Because Truth Is More Fascinating Than Fiction

About the Author

Marni Bates is a freshman at Lewis & Clark College. She wrote her first novel, That's Debatable, between filling out college applications and is currently looking for an agent. She loves writing and hopes to do it professionally throughout her life. Marni was recommended for this series by the The Oregon Writing Project at Willamette University.