Overcoming Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors by Charles S. Mansueto

Author:Charles S. Mansueto
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: body-focused repetitive behaviors;cbt;cognitive behavioral therapy;trichotillomania;dermatillomania;hair pulling;skin picking
Publisher: New Harbinger Publications
Published: 2019-11-12T21:48:32+00:00

Transition Times

Feeling “out of sync” as you shift from one activity to another can also provide affective challenges. This can happen in a variety of circumstances. An example is when you have a number of chores or tasks to do and feel overwhelmed, maybe because you can’t decide what to do first. Let’s say you have a busy day ahead of you. You need to pick out your clothes and get dressed, eat breakfast, put the dishes in the dishwasher, take a shower, feed and walk the dog, make a doctor’s appointment, check the weather, find your keys, take some items to the cleaners, pick up some things at the drug store, wash and iron some clothes, and put gas in the car. But you just don’t feel up to facing these demands. The sheer number of chores and how to set your priorities can feel too daunting. So instead of doing any of the above, you might start picking or pulling to give yourself a temporary reprieve from the stress of having to accomplish those tasks.

Another example that might ring a bell is when you are engaging in enjoyable activities, such as watching TV, but know you should be doing something else—some necessary but not particularly desirable activity, such as paying the monthly bills. Too often during this time of internal tension, a BFRB episode provides an easy delay or escape from having to transition from a gratifying to a burdensome activity.

Finally, there may be times when you are undecided about something or stuck in a quandary. For example, “What am I going to do about that neighbor’s barking dog that is driving me crazy? Do I just hope it will stop soon? Do I call my neighbor? Do I turn up my music?” You may get stuck at some point and be unable to think of a way to solve the problem. At that moment you may be tempted to seek out some activity that will distract you from the frustration. Your BFRB is always at hand as an alternative. While other people may respond by making a stiff drink or eating a bag of cookies, you may be tempted to escape through picking or pulling.

Interventions that can help those transition times: When you self-monitor, you may discover that you are vulnerable to picking or pulling during transition times of the kinds we have described here. If so, you may benefit from planning ahead. For example, if you pick or pull while reading the paper at home in the morning and thus often end up being late for work, perhaps you could change your routine. You might refrain from reading the paper at the breakfast table and instead take a section of it with you to read on the subway, during a work break, or at lunchtime. If you pick or pull when you are watching TV or browsing the Internet but know that you have housekeeping or work-related tasks to do, perhaps you can do at least some of your chores first and then reward yourself with the enjoyable activity afterwards.

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