This sounds a little crazy but my anxiety started after I accidentally tweezed the top of my eyebrow away thinking I was plucking stray hairs... I was very happy with my face and once I realized what I had done and that it was almost certainly permanent, I became really anxious. It progressed quickly and interfered with my ability to sleep, eat, or enjoy the things I used to. It also derailed my efforts in looking for a job - my greatest assets were my confidence and energy. Now I'm anxious and depressed and not at all myself. Its been 4 months since the incident of great stupidity and I do not feel hopeful that I will ever look like myself again. I have to get on with life somehow. I went to a psychiatrist and was prescribe Klonopin as needed and Zoloft. The side effects from Zoloft were so bad I'm afraid to try anything else. I can't believe I did this to myself. Now, I don't know if I'll ever feel like myself again because I never felt like this before I did this and I can't fix it! I need to find a way to really live again. Any suggestions would be welcome.

You say you tweezed the top of your eyebrow away and that it is permanent? How is it permanent? Eyebrows do grow back.

Hello eyebrow

.....it has been four months....has your eyebrow not grown back yet?

I imagine this is more of a self image thing than having anything to do with your eyebrow.

When you went to a psychiatrist, I imagine you would have had a more serious reason than over-plucking your eyebrow for them to prescribe medication to you.

When I first read this I thought you were making fun of us and not serious...but that would be insensitive of me. Most of us on here worry about having a horrible disease or something, but I suppose everyone is different.

I would suggest getting an eyebrow pencil to fill in your eyebrows. I think most women have over-plucked their eyebrows now and again. And then, try to get to the REAL issue here so you can "find a way to really live again."

Best of luck.

I'm a natural type and I really liked the way I looked before. Its the whole top curve of my brow! I definitely look different and I have so much regret and upset because its forever. I just don't know what to do with all the anxiety this is causing. The psychiatrist suggested it was the focal point for all my anxiety about everything. I do have a lot to stress right now but I think I'd be coping with it normally. I think the permanence of this change in my appearance was the last straw. I have never felt like this before. I'm jumping out of my skin all the time and I can't enjoy the things I used to. I really don't want to take meds but I'm starting to think being anxious for a few months has changed my brain chemistry somehow.

Hi. Being a bloke, it is actually worse. I was teased at school alot and ended up plucking to make mine less bushy. It got to a point where I was so unhappy I pulled them all out and had to go to work with a bandage around my head. I eventually got some growth back and some confidence but I have had problems ever since. I am now 33 and was 16 at the time. I have been on anti depressants for years just to take the edge of the anxiety. I used to get all the feelings you mention, still do to a pont, especially when hairs fall out and leave gaps. I looked into cosmetic surgery but was to uncertain about it to go ahead. I looked into drugs to help regrowth but didnt end up trying them as they would make things worse befoer getting better. I am now married, with my first child, I take multi vitamins in the morning along with my medication and vitamin b at night. These seem to aid in regrowth somewhat after a number of months taking them.
I understand your anxiety, it is horrible and you feel so alone. All I can say is that you do have to find a way to move on and accept it. Try things that may give you some hope and take it day by day... don't think to far ahead. At the end of the day it will always upset you but you have to remember how badly off other people are. Take care.

Hello. I understand about what you're going through. Although my triggering issue didn't have to do with my eyebrows, the other details are similar. To keep things short, I was in a relationship situation almost a year ago, that after it was over, I didn't think twice about. However, out of nowhere, just about two months ago, I remembered it, and it started driving me crazy. I couldn't stop thinking about it, berating myself, feeling guilty, even though everyone from my mother to my therapist assured me I did nothing wrong. Logically, I believe it, but it's like I've got a black cloud hanging over my head still (although I seem to be making some progress...at least today). My therapist seems to think that the reason why this is happening is because I've got a pretty rigid, perfectionistic personality and that the EVERYTHING finally hit the fan, so to speak, when I ran into some stress. My situation is similar to yours in that, really, what triggered us was not a huge big deal, and that it's been attributed to stress that we thought we were handling well. While the fact that it's about your eyebrows is different, I don't agree with the others who are telling you to get a real issue. If it was logical for you to stress over this, you wouldn't have a problem. Anyway, what I'm doing right now is seeing a therapist once a week, and she gave me a few things to do (such as meditate, exercise, etc) and a few books to read (such as Women Who Think too Much). I just started, but as I said, I'm starting to notice a tiny difference. I'm also working on my own to see what I can do to relieve some more stress. Right now I have an awful job, am going to school {REMOVED}am getting ready to move, am getting married in the fall, and have some minor health and family issues. So I'm doing things like finding a new job, getting loved ones to help me out with the wedding, etc. It's also important to have someone to talk to. I talk to both my fiance, who although I know he can't completely understand, is a good listener and supportive (he gave me the idea of doing a puzzle when my mind starts to race as a way to focus on something else); and also this board. It's been a big help to know I'm not the only one going through this. I also make time for fun stuff that I know I enjoy, like watching movies or doing a crossword puzzle. Hang in there! This problem is fixable.