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This woman eats a tub of talcum powder every day and spent over $10,000 on her addiction

Lisa Anderson from the United Kingdom discovered she has pica, a psychological disorder, and has been eating talcum powder for 15 years.

This woman eats a tub of talcum powder every day and spent over $10,000 on her addiction
Image Source: nu1983 / Getty Images

We all have a cheeky bite of something naughty every once in a while. Whether it's a cheat meal every week or an ooey-gooey fudge brownie, we all have cravings that we can't always regulate. However, all cravings are not born equal. A mother from the United Kingdom has come forward to reveal a rather particular craving - nay, addiction - that she's been unable to control for a while now. For the past 15 years, Lisa Anderson of Paignton, Devon, in the United Kingdom, has an addiction to eating talcum powder. Yep, you read that right. Lisa likes munching on what you rub on a baby's bottom.

In an interview with The Sun, she revealed how her addiction began and escalated to the point she's at now, where she gobbles up about a tub of the bathroom staple every single day. The addiction began about 15 years ago, right after she got out of the shower. "I do get it's a bit weird - but it just has this nice soapy taste," she explained. "I've always had it in the house and would douse myself with it after having a bath or shower. And then one day I remember being in the bathroom and the smell was just overpowering. There was a bit of dust that had come off the top of the bottle. I had this sudden urge to eat it and I just couldn't fight it. I just licked it off my hand and really enjoyed it. It just hit this spot."

Now, the 44-year-old can't go 30 minutes without sneaking off for a quick shot of talcum powder. Lisa said, "Just like someone with an addiction, I was just having more and more each time I went to have some. The longest I've been without it is two days. That was the worst time of my life. I hated it." Her doctors believe she may have OCD and an iron deficiency in addition to a condition known as pica. Pica is a psychological disorder characterized by a hunger for substances that are mostly non-nutritive, such as hair, ice, paper, or you guessed it, talcum powder. For the past 10 years, Lisa was able to keep her disorder a secret. But one day, her former partner stormed into the bathroom when he grew suspicious of her frequent visits.



 

 

At present, both Lisa and her current partner fear the potential links between talcum powder and cancer. Furthermore, the mother had no clue about her condition for the longest time. Therefore, she is doing everything she can to raise awareness. "Despite doing this for years and years I sat down earlier this year and thought this just cannot be normal," she said. "My partner doesn't like me doing it because of the links it has [with] cancer and the impact it could be having on my health. I just want to raise awareness to others. 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." Lisa is now seeking therapy for her condition. She hopes her story will help others.



 

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