I know how difficult it can be to cope with body-focused, repetitive behaviors—we feel angry and defeated when we experience setbacks. So this post is meant to serve as a little reminder that every day is a new opportunity to try again.
Sometimes we just don’t have the strength or mental bandwidth to control our BFRBs. We don’t even care if we pick our skin, pull our hair, or bite our cheeks and nails—at least at the moment.
Often we tell ourselves that we’ll start all over again tomorrow, next week, or on some special occasion, but we always slip back into the vicious cycle of habit.
We keep trying and restarting 100 times, and it’s frustrating. But remember, that’s okay and is part of recovery from BFRB.
You can do it! One day at a time, one trigger, and one BFRB at a time. Your future self will thank you for keeping trying.
I assure you that over time your BFRBs will become easier to manage and the damage you cause with picking, pulling, and biting will be less severe.
See your dermatillomania, trichotillomania, or onychophagia as your internal body alarm system. Some triggers will even be easy to spot and prevent.
For example, do you need a break, are you hungry or thirsty, are you tired, is the film you’re watching too scary for you, or is the phone call taking too long?
So remember, every day (and every hour) is a new opportunity to be stronger than your urges and to learn more about what you need to do to feel and cope better!
Sending you positive BFRB coping energy, Anja