Beyond My BFRB

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 yourself through and even feel like the only lens that others see you through.

It’s pretty safe to say that most of us are familiar with the above notions. We’ve felt their heaviness and constriction at one point or another. With BFRBs being so foreign to many people, including those who have them, it can be exceedingly difficult to see beyond the shroud.

But the truth is that there is far more to us than our BFRBs.

Take a moment now and pause. Who are you beyond your BFRB?

Perhaps you’re an artist or a dancer. Perhaps you’re someone that relishes in fiction novels or loves puzzles. Perhaps you’re someone that loves maths and sciences and sees the world with an analytical eye. Perhaps you’re someone who cares deeply and shows your compassion by caring for animals and other people.

You could even be a combination of each of those and more.

We’re each multifaceted with hopes and dreams and pieces of ourselves that have nothing to do with our BFRBs. When the symptoms and the aftermath of BFRBs feel too overwhelming, it can help to pause and reflect on those pieces of ourselves.

Living with a BFRB can feel like a constant cycle of management and coping, and using these moments to remind ourselves that we’re far more than a challenging disorder allows us to live beyond those moments.

An estimated 2-5% of people have a BFRB, but 0% of people are a BFRB. While a BFRB can play a big part in how we respond to life, it’s not who we are as people. It may seem like an obvious distinction, but it’s an essential one to make since we can become lost in the actions and reactions that come with having a BFRB.

Take another moment to pause. Who are you beyond your BFRB?

I bet it’s someone amazing.

Join the BFRB Week 2020 conversation by sharing who you are beyond your BFRB. Use hashtag #BeyondMyBFRB in your social media posts and tag @CanadianBFRB.

Print out the following sign to write on and take a picture of yourself or use the Instagram story image to share.

Printable Sign

Click the image below to print out the sign.