Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB)

In this article i did some research to gather some information about the Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors or BFRB which is a serious mental health issue that often goes unchecked because of an obvious misunderstanding of these obsessive intense behaviors such as biting, pulling or nailing, as normal tendencies. However, these can culminate into something much more damagin over time.

Some urges can be extremely intense and obsesive at the same time while being repetitive. These sorts of behavior are usually termed as usual obsessions or urges by most people, thus people suffering from the disorder often go through late diagnosis. These urges are called Body focused repetitive behavior or BFRB.

BFRB refers to „a group of behaviors that include skin picking (dermatillomaia), hair pulling (trichotillomnia) and nail biting (onychophagia), which result in physical and psychological difficulties“. These obsessions, tendencies and behaviors are often identified as nervou habits. But when these begin to impair a person`s ability to funcion normally in everyday life, then such habits can become devastating and are known as impulse control disorders.

It is one of the most misdiagnosed and misunderstood disorders. Since most of the times the symptoms remain unchecked, it gradually leads to worsening the state of the patient. In most cases these habits get dismissed as more „bad habits“. Many times the patients with this specific disorder are diagnosed with obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD), but in reality the illnesses are distinct in nature in spite of having a few core similarities. The distinction can be found in self-harming rituals, like cutting oneself or inflicting pain on oneself.

Typically, the condition starts to develop during childhood and adolescence. The search for the origin or causes of the disorder are still in progress but a few reasons can be identified as of now. One of the main causes has been found in terms of hereditary. Genes play a huge role as a reason behind the illness. There are other factors like the personality of the person, or the excessive amount of stress one person is taking in, or even childhood traumas.

The age when a person gets diagnosed with the disorder is also very crucial to note as that can primarily speak of certain urges of the person. It is aso found out that women are more likely to get the disorder than men.

BFRB refers to any behavior related to self-grooming that damages the body. The behaviors can include picking or pulling the skin, biting, or scraping skin or hair. Some of the specific BFRB symptoms are the following:

• Manipulating a body part or picking at it, which results in damage usually.
• Repeated attempts at trying to stop or reducing the urges.
• Feeling uable to function or deely distressed because of the BFRB.
• The hair-pulling, nail biting or teeth grinding behaviors that cannot be explained by any other mental condition.
• The skin picking, hair eating, or nail biting behviors cause the individual clinically impairment or distress in occupational, social or other crucial areas of functioning.

Treatments for Body focused Repetitive Behavior

As the success rate of the treatment of body focused repetitive behaviors are inconsistent, it leads to misdiagnosis of the condition. Specialists mostly take help of various therapy methods to treat anxiety or compulsivity related illnesses. In many cases BFRBs are driven by co-occurring metal health disorders. Identifying these co-occurring conditions can help in treating BFRB successfully. Success in treatment is supposedly more likely to take place when a professional applies individualized treatments, as every person has different sensitivities and causes different reactions. Generally, there are two treatment procedures that are widely used by health professionals which have a steady success rate: Psychotherapy and Pharmacotherapy.

1. Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy method uses the following treatment procedures..

Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT)

CBT is considered as the golden standard of the possible treatment of body focused repetitive behaviors. One of the most empirical evidences of CBT treatment approach having a habit reversal training that specifically focuses on repetitive focused behaviors.

Habit Reversal Therapy (HRT)

HRT mainly focuses on identifying triggers andcoping through them, but it also involves many other components. There are some activities like keeping oneself`s hands busy, leaning towards societal support, and logging helps the individual to keep urges at bay. The reason behind this being that years of scientific studies have presented reports and ways of optimizing skills in a controlled setting. But what is essential is that one does not require therapy to use these. Though the accountability might feel debilitating to some, it is something that can never be avoided.

2. Medications

Pharmacotherapy or medication for BFRBs has a lower success rate than psychotherapy as only a few types of body focued repetitive behaviors have been recorded to be treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRI) like Clomipramine, Naltrexone, Neuroleptics, Lithium etc,

3. Coping Strategies

Although many of the BFRB can be unconsciously operating in a person, and with proper medication and clinically therapy only the habits can be restricted or redirectd. However, there are a few prominent self-help strategies that one can use to get the urges in somewhat control:

• Using a medium (application) to record and track the patient`s progress in remitting the BFRBs.
• Of oneself`s thoughts helps in moments when they feel triggered.
• In case of skin picking habits, adapting a skincre routine helps redirecting the feeling of stress.
• Practicing acupressure like calming technique.
• Reading up and knowing about the disorder so get the reaction, that you can do the best of your abilities to manage the reaction.
• Look for other people who are going through the same.
• Art can be a great form of redirection.
• Start using a gadget that helps you track your progress and keeps your hands and mind busy.

Understanding BFRB

Body focused repetitive behavior is essentially a compulsive physical manifestation induced by a singular or multiple psychological stressor. These triggers or stressors appear due to excessive anxiety and stress. Although in most scenarios, the symptoms get overlooked for a prolonged period of time which results in late diagnosis. In many cases, th symptoms seem to arrive at a young age and manifest into actions that are moe obsessive and destructive in nature. Lack of knowledge and oblivion are the reasons behind it. The effects of using these behaviors over along time can bring up many adversities, such as serious infection, or lifethreatening disease caused by the infection. Thus, paying attention to these minute early symptoms might just save one`s life and help them have a life of contentment and retain good health.

BFRB at a glance

1. Body focused repetitive behaviors are intense urges like biting, picking and pulling that can cause damage.
2. Typically, the condition starts to develop during childhood and adolescence.
3. It has been found that women are more likely to get the disorder than men.
4. Genetics is believed to be one of the main caues.
5. Generally, there are two treatment procedures that are widely used by health professionals and have a steady success rate: Psychotherapy and Pharmacotheraoy.