What are Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs)?
BFRB stands for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors; which is an umbrella term developed to encompass pseudo-grooming behaviors once they move beyond normal activity to a state of compulsive entrapment. BFRBs are currently categorized in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) as being in the group called Obsessive-Compulsive Spectrum Disorders.
The most common BFRBs are:
- Hair Pulling (Trichotillomania)
- Skin Picking (Excoriation/Dermatillomania)
- Nail Biting (Onychophasia)
They can also include compulsive cheek biting, lip picking, nose picking, and others.
All of these behaviors are done by humans around the world as part of regular grooming and self-care. But for some people, what starts out as a simple behavior, actually turns into an unwanted and rather terrifying behavioral compulsion. Sufferers can struggle for decades if there is no intervention.
The average person who suffers from BFRB’s usually experiences significant levels of shame, stigma, self-consciousness, depression, and anxiety, which can even become life-threatening and prevent those suffering from seeking and receiving help.
Treatment involves not only working towards stopping these unwanted behaviors but healing the resulting emotional scars they’ve caused.
I have been trained and certified through the international TLC Foundation for Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors to offer the most up-to-date, evidence-based treatments available for BFRB’s. These include the “ComB” model of comprehensive behavioral treatment and Mindfulness-Based Impulse Reduction. I offer both in-person and online therapy to my clients.
To learn more about BFRB’s click here.