A Celebrity’s Struggle With OCD and Trichotillomania: Megan Fox
Dealing with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is complicated and stressful, with many manifestations such as trichotillomania (pulling out your own hair) and ablutomania (you simply can’t stop washing your hands). OCD makes you feel scared and panicked, and gives you a horrible pang of doubt that pinches the inside of your stomach. It also makes you feel alone and misunderstood. But if you struggle with OCD, you’re not alone. It’s an indiscriminate affliction that plagues millions – brothers, sisters, parents, teachers, athletes and even celebrities, who face the same fear, panic and doubt.
In 2010, Megan Fox, in a candid interview with Allure, revealed that she suffers from OCD, joining the ranks of other A-listers with the disorder such as Cameron Diaz, Justin Timberlake and Leonardo DiCaprio.
“This is a sickness, I have an illness,” Fox told the magazine.
The Transformers star explained that her OCD manifest in a variety of forms, from an aversion to public restrooms to an inability to use silverware at a restaurant.
“Every time someone uses a bathroom and they flush, all the bacteria is shot into the air,” she said. “(Or) putting my mouth where a million other mouths have been, just knowing all the bacteria that you carry in your mouth? Ucch!”
Fox has the looks, fortune and celebrity status that most of us only achieve in our wildest daydreams – but OCD disorders like trichotillomania levels the playing field, reminding us that behind the movie posters and magazine covers, she’s only human.
“I could go days, weeks, without talking to another human being,” Fox told Allure, describing how the stress of her illness can make isolation appealing.
Today, though, the star is a mother, and the experience has forced her to face things she once thought impossible.
“When they come out they are covered in all kinds of stuff,” she said in an interview with in Touch, talking about childbirth. “I took (Noah) right on my chest and, from that moment, nothing he does freaks me out.”
Knowing the feelings of helplessness OCD can instill in even the most confident person, Fox made the decision that she “(did) not want to give him a complex.” With her characteristic determination and newfound strength, she managed to overcome what once felt as much a part of her as her skin.
OCD is a mountain – tall and jagged with its peak hidden in the clouds. It can be terrifying. It can seem insurmountable. It’s not. With treatment and hope, OCD can shrink from Everest to an anthill; and you can walk right over it.
If you are struggling with the disorder trichotillomania Van Scoy Hair Clinics specialize in hair restoration and offer several hair replacement options to fit your needs. To schedule a free consultation call (419) 289-6665 or contact us via email by clicking here.
Photo Credit: 2 TOP Via Flickr Creative Commons
