Are Fidget Toys for BFRB? (Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior)

Well, welcome to the most personal video I've ever made. I've been too scared to share this bit about myself and even now I'm still scared to hit publish. It was other YouTubers with BFRBs who helped me understand myself, so maybe it'll be okay.

Do you have fidget toys for your BFRB? (Do you have a Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior?)

SNAPCHAT ➜ magiccatjenny

[paigecopenhaver]

Hi! I'm a little late coming across this video, but I wanted to comment my experience anyway in case it's helpful for anyone. I have had a BFRB since I was 8 years old (I am 23 now), and for me it's constantly picking skin off of my scalp, behind my ears, picking at imperfections on my face and anywhere they turn up on my body, and especially picking at the skin around my nails.

My BFRB has embarrassed me throughout my whole life, and I finally decided to do something about it last year. I started going to a therapy place specifically for OCD and anxiety, and they gave me several tips but nothing was very sustainable for me. I bought some sensory balls and put them in various places (backpack, car, bedside table, kitchen, etc.) so that I would squish them instead of picking at my skin. It kind of worked. The only thing that ended up actually helping me was wearing gloves, but I felt awkward doing this anywhere outside of my car when I was driving. All of that being said, recently I found that holding a small "worry stone" in my hand and rubbing it constantly helps with the urge to pick. This stone is much smaller than most fidget toys and sensory balls I've used, and I am not embarrassed to hold it in class.

One more thing that helps me personally - I started practicing yoga and meditation pretty seriously about three years ago, and I would definitely encourage anyone with a BFRB to jump aboard the mindfulness train. It helps to be aware when you're doing it, though I recognize that awareness alone does not give you enough willpower to overcome the behavior. In yoga I learned about a specific mudra (a hand gesture used in yoga/meditation) that has also helped me stop picking. Essentially you just touch your middle finger to your thumb and hold it there. I noticed a distinct shift in how this mudra made me feel immediately, and it's no surprised that after doing some googling, I discovered this mudra is used for patience, discipline, and self-healing. My apologies for the long comment; I just got excited when I saw this video to see that there are other people dealing with the same thing as me. I've never met anyone else who has this mental health problem.

[katie]

I've been curious about this whole fidget toy dilemma and it was good to hear from someone who has actual experience with it! Thanks for sharing your thoughts :)

[naytherattus]

I have Two/three BFRB and suffer from multiple anxiety disorders. Surprisingly, I haven't considered fidget toys. I've tried stress balls but within the span of less then a week I would break them all. Thank you for the recommendations, I really appreciate it in glad I found this video 😁

[My_Shelf]

Thank you so much for disclosing/sharing this topic that I share, but cannot talk about. I appreciate your authenticity.

[emmaleverett]

I have dermatillomania and dermatophagia and I've had them both for as long as I can remember, like 3 years old, but didn't know at all that they were a widespread issue at all until about 2 months ago. I always thought I was just that one weirdo in class who had bloody little picked-at wounds up and down her arms. And after a while, I just stopped trying to hide them because I didn't have enough long sleeved shirts and my step mom would hit me for getting blood on my clothes, which just made me want to pick more. No one could seem to grasp that the deep, painful wounds in my mouth were not canker sores but me biting myself to deal with stress and anxiety. And I didn't even know that fidget toys existed until about a year ago, which meant that I have learned how much skin I can pick or bite off that will only take a day to heal, and how much skin that will take weeks to heal. My younger sister has had trichotillomania for about 7 years and suggested I look my current conditions, which has really helped me accept myself and learn how to semi-control the behavior that I thought I couldn't escape ever. And since I never knew fidget toys existed or were a thing, what I have done in the past was rip at my clothes. The sensation of tearing and picking at fabric has really helped me especially for skin picking and I can see it being really useful for people with trich too. Ace hardware usually sells just bags of scrapped fabric or you could get ratty old t-shirts from goodwill or something and tear those up too, maybe piece by piece.

[maiaw.]

Thank you for sharing! it's really nice to hear an adult who is doing well who also experiences bfrbs, i'm 17 and have dermatophagia/dermatillomania and a fidget toy i've gotten use out of is a silicone pendant to keep my mouth busy and vent stress and aggression. However, i stopped using it because it wasn't very discreet. It really is lovely to hear your experience

[KaylyNyman]

Ive never heard of BRFB as a separate entity, only in the context of OCD, so I would certainly be interested in more on the topic! Always down to learn. For me, when nervous, I will often tap my fingers in a specific pattern on my leg; its not too loud or noticable, and let's my brain focus and ease anxiety. Box breathing is also my anxiety lifeline.

[glittabones]

Thanks for sharing this little bit of your personality!

I'm an Aspie and I find fidget spinners more satisfying than tangle toys because I like the weight to them and the slight breeze they create between your fingers.

[emmacole]

I use fidgets for that purpose too and i think they help a ton. I also crochet to keep my hands busy. Spinners don't help me, but I have a cube on its way and I'll see if that one helps. For the record, i also have ADHD, so I guess I have double reason to use fidgets.
My favorites have been the tangle, ordinary hair elastics, a little stress ball thing (but not a ball, it's shaped like a person.. Idk what to call that), and thinking putty.

[patheticmortal]

Every time I manage to reduce behaviour in one area it moves to another. Reduced chewing my cheeks became chewing my lips. Reduced picking my skin became picking my ears. I currently have bleeding lips swelling inside both ears. FML.

[destin.marie.]

I have dermatillomania and have recently picked up crocheting! It's been helpful to keep my hands busy and fulfilling when I finish a project!

[WiolaKawalec]

Thanks for sharing your story. I will try some of your methods - I really like the necklace/bracelet idea

[SuviTuuliAllan]

I guess dermatillomania would be a BRFB. I need something to help me stop damageing myself.

[pinkfeiry]

I've been scratching my skin a lot lately so I'm still trying out what kind of tools could help me stop that.

[upasanagupta]

I have this habit of picking and scratching my nail continously. I am trying hard to deal with but it seems impossible.

[luisalbertoalvarezcarmona]

Thank you Jenny for these useful recommendations. Difficult to manage and control BFRBs. I started to used a small foam ball and seems working for me :)

[gravevampy]

I mainly bite the inside of my mouth so i have a little collection of gum. Gum kinda helps but i can’t chew it all day obviously

[bobbijoduneman]

I have a cuticle and finger nail biting BFRP. Mainly cuticles. I’ve just started using thinking putty and it’s been great. Want to try actual fidget toys/tools like a tangle.

[sj]

I put a hair tie on my wrist and basically use it like the tangle

[mascotwithadinosaur]

I'm very late but I wanted to ask about nose picking. I reach into my nose even when there's nothing in it. My sense of smell is only deteriorating, and I get worse sinus headaches after crying (and nausea too). I have ADHD, I've been diagnosed with it, but Idk if I have bfrb. I don't think I bothered to tell the lady who diagnosed me with ADHD that I also pick my nose all the time. I think back then I figured out that most people pick their nose every now and then, and I thought I wasn't any different. Plus that with the shame of even admitting that nose picking is something people tend to do. I don't have a proper BFRB diagnosis, and I haven't yet done a ton of research on it, but it seems like it's entirely possible that I do have it. My dad grinds his teeth to the point where it damages his body too.