You may have heard of service dogs or even emotional support animals, and maybe you’ve even seen these animal companions employed for those with body-focused repetitive behaviours (BFRBs). Haley Sciola, founder of BFRB Dogs describes them as follows. “A BFRB...
by Morgan Content warning: This guest blog has mentions of self harm and overdose and implied mention of suicide. I started scratching (my preferred term) as early as first grade. My parents didn’t know how to cope with my scratching,...
by Kimi Vesel I have different hair in each photo on my Hinge profile, so no one can tell for sure what I look like. Call it catfishing, I call it tactical. I’m platinum blonde when I first meet...
We’re closing in on the new year. Tonight, in the last moments of 2020, the countdown will begin. Five. Counting down. Four. Maybe it’s a chant with your circle of people. Maybe it’s a thought in your head. Three....
In the past, we’ve shared advice on how to navigate the holiday season for going to family gatherings with people who might not necessarily understand having a body-focused repetitive behaviour. Many of us have been in the position where...
Having a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB) can be frustrating, making it tough to be kind to yourself and easy to fall into the cycle of being hard on yourself instead. There’s this idea that we should have the power...
When you have a body-focused repetitive behaviour (BFRB), it can feel all encompassing. It can consume your time, make home in every thought, and shape the way you go about life. It can be the lens that you see...
by Kim Harrison Telling your hairstylist or beauty professional you have trichotillomania or a similar condition can be a big step. I struggled with this for a long time and would avoid appointments or not enjoy them because of...
by Kim Harrison “There’s a lot of damage to your hair here at the back… What’s going on? Did you get layers put in?” I could feel my palms turning clammy. All I could manage to reply was, “Yeah,...
Over the past several months, we’ve had to make a number of adjustments in the wake of the global pandemic that has put cities in lockdown and encouraged social distancing in very nearly all aspects of life. This has...
CBSN Does Mindfest 2020 Last week, the Canadian BFRB Support Network had the privilege of having a table at Mindfest, an annual mental health fair hosted at University of Toronto’s Hart House. Our greatest takeaway from this year’s...
Those who celebrate Christmas often have a wish list of gifts they would like to receive. Sure, it might seem like something a child will do to prep for Santa, but many teens and adults also have a list...
Here in Southern Ontario, winter weather seems to be making an early appearance. From the colder temperatures to the snow on the ground, we’re already facing challenges that we normally wouldn’t face until later in the season. If you’re...
We’ve got a new peer-support group in the works! Be sure to email BFRB.kitchener.waterloo@gmail.com if you are interested in joining or want some more information!
It’s been a week of sharing and coming together. Sharing information, sharing our secrets, sharing ourselves with our loved ones, our community, and, to some extent, the world. We came together as a community on our social media as...