Amy Schumer has never been one to hold back from having some pretty difficult conversations, especially around her health and body. The 40-year-old comedian has been open about everything from her liposuction surgery, her IVF journey, her endometriosis diagnosis, and so much more over the years. But apparently, there is one “big secret” that she has been keeping ever since she was a child.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Schumer revealed that she struggled with trichotillomania since she was a kid. The Trainwreck star shared:
“I think everybody has a big secret, and that’s mine. And I’m proud that my big secret only hurts me, but it’s been what I’ve carried so much shame about for so long.”
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If you didn’t know, it is a type of obsessive-compulsive disorder that causes the irresistible urge to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of your body. While its cause is unclear, the Mayo Clinic says experts believe the chronic condition results from several factors, including family history, age, other disorders, and environmental factors like stress.
For Schumer, she started suffering from the disorder after her father was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis and declared bankruptcy. During that time, her mother ended up leaving him for her best friend’s dad. The actress admitted in the interview that she picked out so much of her hair that she even had to wear a wig to cover up her hair loss before returning to school but still “everybody knew.” And to this day, Schumer stressed to the publication that trichotillomania continues to affect her:
“It’s not that I used to have this problem and now I don’t. It’s still something that I struggle with.”
Since there is a genetic component to trichotillomania, she is concerned her 2-year-old son Gene will end up having the condition too:
“Every time he touches his head I’m having a heart attack.”
Instead of ignoring the issue, the star is confronting it in her new semi-autobiographical series, Life & Beth. By opening up speaking out about the disorder, Schumer said she it will take away the “shame” not only for herself but for others too:
“I really don’t want to have a big secret anymore. And I thought putting it in there would be good for me to alleviate some of my shame and maybe, hopefully, help others alleviate some of theirs, too.”
As always, we appreciate Amy’s honesty about whatever she is facing in her life. Her speaking out about trichotillomania is sure to help someone who is also experiencing this struggle on a daily basis.
[Image via WENN]
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