Episode 34: ADHD and Repetitive Body Focused Behaviors (Also Known As Skin-Picking, Nail Biting, Teeth Grinding, etc.)
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This week's topic is all about Repetitive Body-Focused Behaviors (RBFBs). RBFBs are related to self-grooming, anxiety management and/or sensory stimulation.
The most common BFRBs are trichotillomania (hair pulling, eyelashes), dermatillomania (skin picking), onychophagia (nail biting), dermatophagia (skin biting), teeth grinding (bruxism), tongue biting (morsicatio linguarum). They are complex conditions that cause people to repeatedly touch their hair and body in ways that result in physical damage.
Learn why:
It’s so hard to stop these behaviors
These behaviors normally begin
ADHD predisposes us to RBFBs
Perfectionism may play a role in RBFBs
ADHD medication may make RBFBs worse
RBFBs may elevate our dopamine levels
Learn what:
Condition RBFBB is normally associated with
Percent of the members of our FB group have RBFB. It’s very surprising
Members say about their own RBFBs
You can do to stop or at a minimum lessen these RBFBs?
Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) refer to recurrent and chronic behaviors inflicted upon the body (like nail biting and hair pulling) that often result in physical damage. Examples of BFRBs include: Trichotillomania (hair-pulling disorder) Excoriation/Dermatillomania (skin-picking disorder) Onychophagia (nail biting) Dermatophagia (skin biting) Rhinotillexomania (nose picking) Cheek/lip biting In the DSM-5, BFRBs fall under the "other specified obsessive-compulsive and related disorder" category.
Dr. Roberto Olivardia joins Tara McGillicuddy this week on ADHD Support Talk Radio. On this podcast episode Tara and Dr. Roberto Olivardia will be discussing some important issues related to Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors Anxiety and ADHD. This podcast episode originally aired on 3/5/18 Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a Clinical Instructor of Psychology at Harvard [...]
General Description of Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRB's) Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRB's) are "complex disorders that cause people to repeatedly touch their hair and body in ways that result in physical damage" ( BFRB.org). While BFRB's are habit-like, they are technically not habits. However, the concept of a habit is used here to help explain what a BFRB is.
Dr. Roberto Olivardia joins Tara McGillicuddy this week on ADHD Support Talk Radio. On this podcast episode Tara and Dr. Roberto Olivardia will be discussing some important issues related to Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors Anxiety and ADHD. This podcast episode originally aired on 3/5/18 Dr. Roberto Olivardia is a Clinical Instructor of Psychology at Harvard [...]
About Tracy
Host Tracy Otsuka is a lawyer, not a doctor, a life-long student, not a coach. She’s also the creator of Coretography a patent pending system that helps smart, driven women understand their own unique ADHD brain and use it to their advantage.
Tracy will be talking about ADHD. Your super powers, your symptoms, your solutions and work-arounds and how you proudly stand out. Tracy credits ADHD for some of her superpowers and much of her success in life.
