body-focused repetitive behavior body-focused repetitive behavior body-focused repetitive behavior (bfrb) is an umbrella name for impulse control behaviors involving compulsively damaging one's physical appearance or causing physical injury. body-focused repetitive behaviordermatillomania (picking of the skin) of the knuckles (via mouth), illustrating disfiguration of the distal and proximal joints of the middle and little fingers body-focused repetitive behavior disorders (bfrbds) in icd-11 is in development. bfrb disorders are currently estimated to be under the obsessive-compulsive spectrum. they are also associated with adhd and anxiety. causes the cause of bfrbs is unknown. emotional variables may have a differential impact on the expression of bfrbs. research has suggested that the urge to repetitive self-injury is similar to a body-focused repetitive behavior but others have argued that for some the condition is more akin to a substance abuse disorder. researchers are investigating a possible genetic component. onset bfrbs most often begin in late childhood or in the early teens. diagnosis types the main bfrb disorders are: skin dermatillomania (excoriation disorder), skin picking dermatophagia, skin nibbling mouth morsicatio buccarum, cheek biting morsicatio labiorum, inner lip biting morsicatio linguarum, tongue biting hands onychophagia, nail biting onychotillomania, nail picking nose rhinotillexomania, compulsive nose picking hair trichophagia, hair nibbling trichotemnomania, hair cutting trichotillomania, hair pulling eyes mucus fishing syndrome - compulsion to remove or "fish" strands of mucus from the eye treatment psychotherapy treatment can include behavior modification therapy, medication, and family therapy. the evidence base criteria for bfrbs is strict and methodical. individual behavioral therapy has been shown as a "probably effective" evidence-based therapy to help with thumb sucking, and possibly nail biting. cognitive behavioral therapy was cited as experimental evidence based therapy to treat trichotillomania and nail biting; a systematic review found best evidence for habit reversal training and decoupling. another form of treatment that focuses on mindfulness, stimuli and rewards has proven effective in some people. however, no treatment was deemed well-established to treat any form of bfrbs. pharmacotherapy excoriation disorder, and trichotillomania have been treated with inositol and n-acetylcysteine. prevalence bfrbs are among the most poorly understood, misdiagnosed, and undertreated groups of disorders. bfrbs may affect at least 1 out of 20 people. these collections of symptoms have been known for a number of years, but only recently have appeared in widespread medical literature. trichotillomania alone is believed to affect 10 million people in the united states.