The Truth about BFRB-Disorder
BFRB-Disorder is an umbrella term that includes a range of compulsive behaviors such as skin picking, hair pulling, and nail-biting. Although these behaviors are relatively common, they can have serious consequences and can disrupt one’s daily functioning if left untreated. In this blog post, we’ll discuss what BFRB is, the different types of BFRB, signs and symptoms of BFRB, and causes of BFRB.
What Is BFRB?
BFRBs are a group of repetitive behaviors in which someone causes physical damage to themselves or their body. Common BFRBs include hair pulling, skin picking, and nail-biting. These behaviors are considered body-focused because they involve parts of the body, and they are considered repetitive because they often occur over and over again, sometimes without conscious thought. BFRBs are considered a type of mental health disorder because they cause distress, take up a lot of time and energy, and can lead to serious physical and emotional problems.
What Are The Causes?
The exact cause of BFRB is unknown. It may be due to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Research suggests that a person’s biology, such as the structure of the brain and certain chemical imbalances, may play a role in developing BFRBs. Environmental factors, such as childhood trauma or emotional difficulties, are also thought to be related to the development of BFRBs.
It’s believed that people with BFRBs may engage in their behaviors as a way of managing intense emotions. In some cases, these behaviors may become automatic, meaning they do them without thinking. This can lead to the behaviors becoming more frequent and difficult to control. Other factors, such as boredom or stress, can also trigger episodes of BFRB.
Risk Factors
BFRB disorder (BFRB) can affect people of all ages, genders, and backgrounds. However, certain risk factors may increase your chances of developing BFRB. These include:
- Having a family member with a BFRB: Having a close relative with a BFRB disorder increases your likelihood of having it as well.
- Experiencing high levels of stress or anxiety: living in a stressful environment or having a difficult life event may trigger the onset of BFRB.
- Having an obsessive-compulsive disorder: Individuals with OCD or other mental health disorders may be more prone to developing BFRB.
- Being a perfectionist or having difficulties dealing with strong emotions: People who are prone to perfectionism and have difficulty managing intense emotions are more likely to develop BFRBs.
- Engaging in self-harm behaviors: People who engage in self-harm behaviors, such as cutting or burning themselves, may be more likely to start BFRBs.
Symptoms
BFRB includes a range of behaviors such as skin picking, hair pulling, and nail biting that can cause physical damage to the body. Symptoms may include:
- Excessive skin picking or scratching, often leading to open sores, scabs, and scars
- Hair pulling from the scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or other areas
- Eating one’s own hair, resulting in a condition known as trichophagia
- Repetitive biting of nails, fingers, or lips
- Picking at cuticles and hangnails
- Chewing on the inside of the mouth or lips
- Repeated rubbing of the skin
- Lip or cheek biting
- Body-focused grooming such as plucking of facial or body hair
These behaviors are usually done without conscious awareness and can lead to physical and emotional distress.
So, this is all you need to know about Body-focused-repetitive-behaviour-disorder. If you want to know more about it, visit OCD and Anxiety Online.
