17-year old May Brown has spent the last 6 years of her life wearing hats, odd hair clips and accessories to cover bald patches on the top of her head. Due to her seemingly unusual appearance, Brown became an easy target for bullies at school.
In a Youtube video, Brown confessed that she is continually teased for her appearance. Kids would sarcastically compliment her hair and some of her teachers often told her off for wearing the same hat over and over again.
The abuses Brown got went as far as having a bully tug on her hair to expose the bald patches on her head. She was even nicknamed "Baldy" at school which altogether held down her self-esteem and aggravated the emotional stress that compels her to pull her hair out.
In her video confession, Brown explained that she has a condition called "trichotillomania". Further on, she said that the confession is meant to set her self free from the secret she has been hiding from people around her.
Trichotillomania is a psychological condition where a person has an uncontrollable impulse to pull out hair or to twist hair until it breaks off. Some pull out their eyebrows, even their eyelashes uncontrollably. The hair pulling gives a sufferer relief from anxiety or stress.
The teen confessed that several things can set her condition off - anything she is stressed about from an essay school assignment to random thoughts on a sleepless night, makes her pull her hair. Many times, she confessed, she does not even realize that is is pulling her hair.
By uploading the video and allowing people (around her and further) to know of her condition, Brown also seeks to raise awareness for other people ("trichers") who suffer the condition. And ultimately, she draws attention to support groups and the existence of people who are understanding of her and the condition.
This is especially positive after a Trichotillomania Support spokesperson said that the disorder often affects people who are overly shy and are too timid to ask for help.
