Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs) like Trichotillomania and Dermatillomania are often mischaracterised as bad habits. Recent approaches classify them as Body Focused Process Addictions (BFPA™), emphasising their neurological underpinnings and compulsion despite negative consequences.
Mental health struggles can take many forms, and two often-discussed behaviors are dermatillomania and self-harm. Although they may seem similar on the surface, they differ significantly in their motivations, expressions, and effects on those who experience them. Let’s take a closer look at both conditions to better understand their complexities. What is Dermatillomania? Dermatillomania, or […]
Hair pulling, or trichotillomania, is a condition that affects many people, yet remains relatively misunderstood. Characterized by a compulsive urge to pull out one’s own hair, trichotillomania is a type of body-focused repetitive behavior (BFRB) that can have profound effects on a person’s emotional and physical well-being. This blog post may help you understand your […]
It’s time to debunk some of the myths about Dermatillomania (skin picking disorder) and Trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) as well as other forms of body focused repetitive behaviours. Myth #1 – BFRB’s are just bad habits It has become apparent in recent research that skin picking or hair pulling are actually a mental disorder that […]
Probably the worst thing you can say to someone suffering from dermatillomania is “just stop it”. I mean, honestly, you don’t think I would stop if I could? It’s not a conscious choice to pick, dig, squeeze and destroy my face for everyone to see. The embarrassment of what I do to myself has been […]
My face is full of scars. Permanent marks that tell my story of over 30 years of picking, squeezing, and scratching at my own face. It’s something I never openly talked about before. It’s still tough for me to share. But why is that? The estimate is that at least 10% of people suffer from […]