For the first time, Amy Schumer has revealed that she has trichotillomania, also known as hair-pulling disorder. After the condition was included in her comedy-drama series Life & Beth, she spoke candidly with The Hollywood Reporter, admitting that the condition was something she once considered a “big secret” and a deep source of “shame.”
The comedian and actress, who was a host at the 94th Academy Awards last night, also admitted she has struggled with the mental health condition since her years in school, where she needed to wear a wig due to the amount of hair she had plucked out at the time. Schumer hoped that shedding light on the condition in her TV series might be cathartic. “I thought putting it in there would be good for me to alleviate some of my shame,” she said, “and maybe, hopefully, help others alleviate some of theirs too.”
Trichotillomania, which affects an estimated 1.7% of the U.S. population, is a body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB), which is a term for a group of disorders that include actions such as hair pulling, nail biting, and skin picking. According to the Cleveland Clinic, trichotillomania is characterized by a compulsive, repetitive pulling out of one’s hair from the scalp, eyelashes, and other parts of the body. This often leads to noticeable hair loss and great emotional distress. The symptoms of trichotillomania include strong urges to pull hair, a sense of relief after pulling it out, bare patches where hair has been pulled out, and the presence of other BFRBs.
The exact cause of the condition has not been determined, but it’s thought to include a combination of both biological and psychological factors. Schumer even expressed her fear that her nearly three-year-old son, Gene, might develop the condition one day: “Every time he touches his head I’m having a heart attack,” she said. An estimated 79% of people with trichotillomania also live with another mental health condition, the most common being anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD, and ADHD, research suggests.
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Schumer has always been open about her health. Last year, she underwent surgery for endometriosis, an often painful condition in which tissue that is similar to the lining of the uterus grows outside of the uterus. Earlier this month, Schumer also told Chelsea Handler on her podcast Dear Chelsea about struggling to conceive after having her first son Gene. She revealed that her most recent round in vitro fertilization (IVF) didn’t quite work out because only one “normal” embryo was able to be collected.
Now, opening up about how trichotillomania has impacted her life has been somewhat of a weight off her shoulders. As she told The Hollywood Reporter, “I really don’t want to have a big secret anymore.”
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Source: SELF
