Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors

Body focused repetitive disorders are in the obsessive family of disorders and involve a single-minded compulsion to engage in a bodily action. These disorders are usually driven by unwanted sensations that are relieved by the bodily action. Two major disorders are found within the body focused repetitive disorder category.

Trichotillomania

Do you find yourself picking at your eyebrows, hairline or finding stray hairs to pluck when you are anxious, bored or simply when your hands are not occupied? You may suffer from a disorder called trichotillomania. Trichotillomania can create difficulties for your appearance, interfere with important tasks and cause damage to your body.

Excoriation disorder

Excoriation disorder involves picking at your skin or scalp. If you find yourself looking for rough patches, pimples, scabs, or irregularities in your skin in order to pick them then you may suffer from excoriation disorder. Similar to trichotillomania excoriation disorder can create difficulties for your appearance, interfere with important tasks, and cause damage to your body.

Behavioral treatment can be effective in reducing these unwanted repetitive behaviors and ending the social embarrassment and bodily damage that these disorders create.