Categories: Others

She Took Selfies Everyday For Six Years. The Result? I Am So Worried!

A pretty girl's battle with a serious condition is chronicled through everyday selfies.

Everyday since she was 14, 21-year old Rebecca Brown had been taking photos of herself to document her battle against a disorder known as trichotillomania. Trichotillomania is an obsessive-compulsive (OC) related disorder that compels an individual to pull out his/her own hair. The person may pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, beard, underarms, pubic region, or any other hairy body part, which subsequently cause evident bald patches. This disorder seems to resemble OCD, an addiction, or a habit; however, it has been recently regarded as a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRBs), like nail-bitting or skin picking. Some people with trichotillomania experience very strong impulses to pluck out hairs that their daily activities are disrupted.

Rebecca made a video to collate the pictures she took daily for more than six years. The short video began from when she was only 14 years old, back when she had very beautiful and healthy head of hair. Her transformation and her struggles manifested as the years pass, and her beautiful smile also faded as she continued the battle. She indicated emotional events in the video that may have also contributed to the worsening of her disorder. In 2011, she became depressive and suicidal; the disorder had a huge negative impact on her life.

Despite her struggles, Rebecca was able to win the fight. She had been bald-free for one year come 2013 and had also been accepted to a film school. Now, at 21 years of age, Rebecca is looking like the fresh-faced blonde like she was before. She also has a more positive perspective in life.

Watch her video below:

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There is no known cure for trichotillomania; however, medical advancements paved the way for treatment options to become available. There are also groups and organizations that offer emotional and psychological support for people who have this disorder.

What do you think of Rebecca’s video? Tell us what you think about it by writing in the comment section.

H/T: SF Globe, Beckie0, TLC