#bfrbs

[this-is-ocd-ocspec-saneism]

(not OCD exactly but i think BFRBs are OCspec)

the general way that BFRBs (body focused repetitive behaviours) are treated by the general public, but especially rhinotillexomania (obsessive nose picking). i’m constantly called childish/immature and disgusting, whether it be indirectly (ex. “people who pick their nose are gross”) or directly. it’s constantly treated as a choice. like i could just stop but don’t because im some gross child. its treated like i want this.

This is OCspec saneism (BFRBs are absolutely on the OCspec!)

It’s really a shame how so many just see one outward behavior and jump to conclusions. I’m sorry you’ve had to deal with people who will see you as less than for something out of your control. You deserve better.

[sniffanimal]

current method of deterring skin picking: laminated Dr house mirror reminder

post got too big so it got sniffered

[sideblogformentalhealtshit]

The most ??? experience is when you struggle your whole life with something you don't know the name of and nobody else does it and you feel all weird and outcast and Othered by it, and then you find out what it's called and start finding out about other people's experiences with it... only to find out that, compared to them, what you have is actually mild in comparison. So then it's like. You're too weird for "normal" people but too normal to feel like you really fit in&belong with the more "weird" ones.

[system-of-a-feather]

In my 17 years of having stubborn / treatment-immune (/hj) Trichotillomania, never once have I found a substitute behavior / stim / coping mechanism that could compare to plucking hair that ISN'T equally harmful / maladaptive until literally this morning and that alternative behavior is ✨✨ weed pulling ✨✨

Cause fuck man is that shit good

[dissociacrip]

hey fun fact for other folks who deal with compulsive nose picking/rhinotillexomania

if you get a staph infection in your nose and the tip of your nose specifically starts swelling and getting red/painful (called rudolph's sign) see a doctor ASAP for medical attention, most websites about it say to go to the emergency room

a complication of nasal staph infections is a type of cellulitis that can potentially spread to the brain because this is an infection in that particular "danger zone" of the face; cavernous sinus thrombosis is extremely rare, but it is also typically fatal and surviving something like that is best when it's caught early/prevented

[scrupulosity-et-al]

people with trichotillomania aren’t ugly for having bald spots, short or missing eyelashes, or patchy eyebrows.

people with excoriation disorder aren’t ugly for having scars, scabs, and uneven skin.

people with BFRBs aren’t ugly for walking around with evidence of their mental illness on their body — rough skin, short nails, and scars of all kinds are not ugly

y’all are great just the way you are, and I hope you’re not feeling too self-conscious at the moment. you deserve to feel valued regardless of the visible signs of your mental illness

[trichy-jadie]

Reblog this if you want to show trichotillomania awareness!

[notabled-noodle]

I just saw something in my notes that made me super angry so:

a BFRB is not “specific OCD”

a BFRB is not OCD at all

BFRBs are in the DSM category “OCD and related disorders” (it is a related disorder only in that it can look similar from the outside)

you can have a BFRB and never experience anything like OCD

in fact. while it is common for someone with OCD to have a BFRB, it also explicitly says in the DSM that they are completely different disorders

BFRBs are also commonly seen in people with autism, anxiety, and ADHD

thank you for coming to my TED talk