BFRB’s are the collective name for problematic picking, pulling or biting of skin, hair or nails. We all do these things a bit because these are normal primate grooming behaviours, but some people experience ongoing powerful urges that make it very difficult to stop. BFRBs are under-recognised, and underestimated in terms of the distress and functional impairment they can cause. Individuals can spend decades of their lives blighted by behaviours they cannot control, and for which there is little/no understanding or support available. As such, these are some of the most highly stigmatised of all mental health conditions. More research is needed to understand the mechanisms and develop interventions for BFRBs.
The inescapable role of stigma in driving depression and distress
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In her debut blog (and the Mental Elf’s first body-focused repetitive behaviours blog), Mallory Moore summarises a systematic review investigating whether internalised stigma can predict depression.
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