Is there anything I can do to help them?

Love, love, love your child, on the good days and on the challenging days. Love your child as your child first - not their BFRB. This is your child's journey. Standing alongside them with encouragement and not judgment keeps the lines of communication open - a critical component of ensuring their emotional and physical well-being. You may not understand what drives their behaviors to pull, pick, or bite. Asking gentle clarification questions, instead of judging, may give you better awareness of what they may be experiencing before, during, and after acting on their urges. Please do not tell your child to stop pulling, picking, or biting. BFRB community members will tell you that telling them to stop their behavior only makes it worse - further inducing shame and isolation. Some say it makes them pull, pick, or bite even more.

Becoming as informed as you can about body-focused repetitive behaviors helps you become your child's best advocate. The TLC website is a great resource, as are TLC's health education and community programs. You are not alone.

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