Scars of Shame Doccie

Scars of Shame is the first documentary featuring dermatillomania. The documentary depicts BFRB awareness advocate Angela Hartlin years back, as a brave and passionate person. Regardless of what she is going through she still wants to educate people by choosing to share her journey of living in shame for so many years. Even just watching a clip from the documentary, it becomes clear how people treat 'different', differently, and how even though she was living with dermatillomania she was depressed manly because the reactions from others led her to feel less worthy.

Not by Choice

Angela explains that she does not do this out of choice. Its a mental disorder that she struggles to control. Even though she is fully aware of what she is doing and that her behaviour is harming her body she is unable to control it and her “Impulses take over”. Over the years it became more and more challenging, with the skin icking escalating. Angela felt alone. We all need a liitle help sometimes. She was suffering from anxiety and depression and could not control her impulses. She explained as “nothing else mattered" she just needed to pick her skin.

Lack of Support

The metal health community did not give Angela the support and resourses she needed to. So Angela took it upon herself and started a group session for people like her or similar to her.

She took the oppotunity and was strong and brave enough to share her story. People need other people to talk to without being judged and thats what Angela was providing. She provided a safe place where people were able to open up and thus making it easier for them to deal with their disorder. In the documentary Angela says poeple have gotten better since the group sessions started. The purpose of Angela’s documentary was to provide an insight to outsiders looking in, to show people how she is suffering. Angela wanted people who did not know her to stop judging her. People do not understand what she is going through and thus should not juge her. Angela is a brave, strong, beauiful and tenacious woman. Her scars of shame make her who she is and no one should have to be ashamed of that. With proper treatment Angela and other skin pickers can live their lives without being ashamed and look forward to what the future holds.