Do you ever find yourself anxiously pulling on your hair, picking your skin or biting your nails? You might not notice you are doing it, or maybe you just brush it off as a ‘bad habit’, but these actions are actually what's known as Body Focussed Repetitive Behaviours (BFRB’s).
The term BFRB’s is used to describe a range of disorders that are all linked through a need to satisfy an urge by damaging a physical part of the body, such as pulling out hair or picking your skin. It is a common misunderstanding that BFRBs are a type of self-harm, however this is not the case. Self-harm is damaging the body with intention and wanting to feel pain, whereas BFRBs are often subconscious and are rarely intended to cause pain.
The most common types of BFRB are:
Trichotillomania - The act of pulling out your hair
Dermatillomania - The act of picking your skin (also known as excoriation disorder)
Some more types of BFRB are:
Nail, cheek and lip biting
Trichophagia (eating your hair)
Rhinotillexomania (nose picking)
As someone who has suffered with a BFRB (specifically dermatillomania) for as long as I can remember, it is difficult to hear people make comments like ‘why don’t you just stop’ when you know that no matter how hard you try you just can’t seem to. This is because BFRB’s are usually triggered by stress, boredom or anxiety, so rather than trying to stop the behavior, it’s important to focus on the emotions that lead to it. This can be done through Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), so contact your GP if this is something you are interested in.
There are also many self-help strategies for those who are struggling with BFRBs, for example:
Keep a habit tracker - Having something visual can help motivate you to reduce the obsessive behaviour
Divert your obsessive energy into skin/hair care - instead of picking at your skin, try putting on a face mask instead
Look into methods that are effective for you - everyone finds different things useful, do research into what works for you
Keep your hands busy - try an activity like crochet that distracts you while also keeping your hands elsewhere
Find people who you can relate to - there is a large community of people who struggle with BRFBs, why not talk to them and ask about ways they help themselves
If you are finding it difficult to manage your BFRB and you need support, visit https://www.bfrb.org/index.php where you can find therapists, support groups and resources around the world. If you find worry or anxiety is a trigger for your BFRB, try out our free WorryTree app which can help you manage and resolve your anxious thoughts.