Lisa Anderson, 44, started eating the talcum powder 15 years ago when she felt a sudden ‘overwhelming’ urge to do so while drying off her son after a bath.
Her cravings intensified and now, the mother-of-five admits scoffing talcum powder off the back of her hand every 30 minutes, and even gets up multiple times during the night to eat it.
She claims to have spent at estimated £8,000 ( Rm43k )on her favourite Johnson’s Baby Powder, costing around £10 ( RM53 )a week. The longest she claims to have gone without eating talc is two days.
Ms Anderson kept her habit secret for a decade before confiding in her ex-partner, who questioned why she kept sneaking off to the bathroom.
She has now plucked up the courage to get professional help after doctors allegedly told her she may have pica syndrome.
Pica syndrome often occurs alongside mental health disorders that impair functioning, such as autism or schizophrenia. It can also be a sign of OCD or stress.
The eating disorder is characterised by a compulsion to eat non-food items, such as paint, dust and dirt.
Talcum powder is deemed poisonous when inhaled or eaten, and has been shrouded in controversy for potentially causing cancer in women who have used the product on their skin for years. But Ms Anderson cannot resist eating it.
‘My partner doesn’t like me doing it because of the links it has to cancer and the impact it could be having on my health.
‘I went online and did my own bit of research then I decided to go to my doctor.
‘I spent years not knowing what was going on or happening. But it turns out it is a condition. And I just want to let others know they are not alone.’
Ms Anderson has been referred by her doctor for counselling, and her treatment will start this month.
When you suspect someone you care about is suffering from depression or some kind of disorder, your support and encouragement can go a long way in getting them on the road to recovery.
Source : Daily Mail