Who is Angela Hartlin?

image courtesy of skinpickingsupport.com

As a young woman whose skin picking became severe by the age of 13/ 14, Angela has since become a leading mental health advocate by educating the public through spreading Dermatillomania awareness and has been actively involved with the only two organizations in the world that deal specifically with skin picking and other Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors: Trichotillomania Learning Center (TLC) and Canadian BFRB Support Network (CBSN). She is the author of FOREVER MARKED: A Dermatillomania Diary, star of Scars of Shame, and has been featured in the media over 35 times through newspapers/,magazines, news stations, and online mental health community sites. She has been published in TLC’s newsletters, has created/ run workshops at conferences, and has served as a guest speaker. Angela volunteered on the Board of Directors with CBSN for over a year and has served as their Groups Co-ordinator from her home in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada where she also the Chair of the Support Group Committee.

Empowerment Through Advocacy

A direct quote from Angela:

“A lot of people ask me how I had the courage to “come out” and advocate for an illness so shameful that most of the world doesn’t even know it exists. Some believe that picking your skin is a “disgusting habit” or that engaging in this behavior on a compulsive level is an indicator of a character flaw or lack of willpower.... It’s always an initial sting, but details of these derogatory/ ignorant comments no longer remain etched in my being like it used... "

A courageous young woman who leads by example. May she continue to inspire people for years to come!