Lisa Anderson, 44, started eating the popular bathroom staple 15-years ago when she felt the urge while drying off her son after a bath.
Credit: SWNS:South West News Service
Lisa has since spent nearly 8000 euro ($9000 usd) on her addiction. Her baby powder brand of choice is Johnson and Johnson and she sneaks off to the bathroom to consume it every 30-minutes.
Lisa has a disorder called PICA and she was officially diagnosed with PICA back in 2004.
Pica syndrome is an eating disorder that is characterized by the desire to eat items with no nutritional value such as stones, sand, paint and talcum powder.
I a recent interview with the The Sun UK, Lisa explained how it all started :
“I do get it’s a bit weird – but it just has this nice soapy taste.
“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.
“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.”
In addition to having PICA, Lisa’s doctor’s believe that she may also suffer from OCD and an iron deficiency.
Lisa did managed to keep her addiction a secret for an entire decade, that was until her ex-mate barged in the bathroom after becoming suspicious of her frequent use of the bathroom.
Lisa’s addiction does come with some serious health risks. Talcum powder is a powder made from a mineral called talc, a clay mineral made up of silicon, magnesium, and oxygen. It is thought the mineral is poisonous to the body if either inhaled or consumed. Breathing problems are often caused by inhaling the powder. A cough and eye irritation is also among the side affects. However, chest pain and lung failure are the worst side affects that Lisa could be facing.
Lisa is finally seeking counselling and help to try and end her addiction and overcome her compulsive disorder. After nearly 20-years, Lisa understands that this is not normal behavior and her current partner is also very concerned for her health and well being.
