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The OCD & Anxiety Center of Cleveland provides therapy for anxiety disorders in children, teens, and adults. Jonah Lakin PsyD is a licensed clinical psychologist specializing in Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), panic disorder, phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), social anxiety disorder/social phobia, agoraphobia, emetophobia (fear of vomiting), illness anxiety disorder, trichotillomania (hair pulling), & excoriation (skin-picking).

OCD & Anxiety Center of Cleveland blog about anxiety treatment

Anxiety Blog. Describes CBT principles involved in treatment for anxiety disorders in children and adults. Conditions discussed include: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), panic disorder, phobia, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD),  social anxiety disorder/social phobia, agoraphobia, emetophobia (fear of vomiting), illness anxiety disorder, trichotillomania (hair pulling), & excoriation (skin-picking).

Filtering by Category: Psychotherapy

Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs): Trichotillomania (Hair Pulling) and Excoriation (Skin Picking)

Jonah Lakin PsyD

BFRBs are a set of behaviors involving one's body such as hair pulling, skin-picking or nail-biting. As the name (Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior) suggests, these behaviors are recurrent; individuals pull their hair or pick their skin over and over again. Most individuals have made repeated attempts to stop these behaviors without much success. In many cases, the BFRBs leads to unwanted consequences such as thinning of the hair, bald spots, lesions to the skin, or damage to cuticles. 

In addition to possible physical damage, BFRBs often lead to significant psychological distress. Individuals experiencing BFRBs may feel ashamed of their behaviors, be bothered by their inability to stop, or feel self-conscious about the damage to their hair or body. Many individuals with BFRBs experience depression and anxiety although this is not thought to be the cause of the BFRBs. In fact, these other conditions may be the consequence of the BFRBs.

Initial efforts to treat BFRBs were based on the idea that these behaviors represented an over-learned habit.  More recent research has indicated that BFRBs are far more complex than a simple habit. While they may, in part, be related to a habitual pattern of movement, these behaviors also appear to be the result of a variety of other factors such as sensory stimulation, emotional regulation, environmental triggers, and certain patterns of thinking.  As such, comprehensive behavioral treatment has been offered to adequately address the multiple factors that lead to and maintain these behaviors. The OCD & Anxiety Center of Cleveland is proud to offer comprehensive behavioral treatments to address BFRBs such as trichotillomania, excoriation, and nail-biting disorder. As always, these treatments are available across the lifespan so that children, adolescents, and adults may benefit from them. 

The material contained in this website is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose or treat any mental health condition. It is not a substitute for psychological treatment provided by a licensed mental health provider. Nothing in this website should be construed as establishing a client-psychotherapist relationship between you and the OCD & Anxiety Center of Cleveland.

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categories Behavioral Therapy, CBT, Exposure Therapy, Mental Health, Psychotherapy
tags Trichotillomania, Excoriation Disorder, Hair pulling, Skin picking, cbt, BFRB, behavior therapy, Cleveland