Body-Focused Repetitive Disorder
You pull or pick and can’t seem to stop.
You’ve tried different strategies to help stop pulling or picking, but they didn’t last. You feel out of control and live with constant shame. You’d love to stop – but can’t.
Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs) like hair-pulling (trichotillomania), skin-picking, and nail-biting can become overwhelming, affecting confidence, self-esteem, and daily life.
The good news is that effective treatment is available – through the Comprehensive Behavioral Model (ComB), a tailored approach that addresses the unique triggers and patterns of your BFRB.
The ComB Model is grounded in scientific research that helped develop proven, practical methods for treating BFRBs. The goal of the ComB Model is to empower you to understand the underlying mechanisms of your BFRB and equip you with the tools to manage and reduce the behavior over time.
The ComB Model focuses on five core domains.
Sensory (S) – This domain focuses on the sensory experiences that trigger or maintain the BFRB. It includes the physical sensations or stimuli associated with the behavior, such as the feel of hair or skin. Individuals often engage in BFRBs because they find the sensations soothing or pleasurable. The ComB Model works to identify these sensory triggers and develop strategies to modify or replace them.
Cognitive (C) – The cognitive domain involves the thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes that contribute to the BFRB. Some behaviors associated with this domain include perfectionism, self-criticism, or specific assumptions about the behavior (e.g., “I’ll feel better if I just pull this hair”). The ComB Model helps individuals challenge and reframe these thoughts, reducing the cognitive drive to engage in the behavior.
Affective (A) – This domain addresses the emotions and feelings linked to the BFRB. Many individuals use these behaviors to cope with stress, anxiety, boredom, or other emotional states. The ComB Model works to identify the emotional triggers and develop healthier coping mechanisms to manage these feelings without resorting to the BFRB.
Motoric (M) – The motoric domain refers to the physical actions and habits that are part of the BFRB, including the specific movements involved in the behavior, such as touching one’s face or running fingers through hair. The ComB Model aims to disrupt these motor patterns by introducing competing responses or alternative behaviors incompatible with the BFRB.
Place (P) – The place domain focuses on the environmental context in which the BFRB occurs. Specific locations or situations can trigger the behavior. For example, someone might pick skin while watching TV or pull their hair while studying. The ComB Model helps individuals identify these environmental triggers and modify their surroundings to reduce the likelihood of engaging in the behavior.
Don’t let BFRBs control your behavior.
By understanding and addressing these domains, the ComB Model will help you gain control over your BFRB.
You will learn to identify your specific triggers, develop healthier coping strategies, and implement behavioral interventions that reduce the urge to engage in BFRBs.
By targeting the underlying causes and maintaining factors of these behaviors, ComB offers a comprehensive and personalized pathway to recovery, helping you regain control and improve your quality of life.
Contact me today if you want to know more about the ComB model. My goal is to help you take control.