International OCD Foundation Conference

We are honored to be participating in the International OCD Foundation Conference in Seattle on July 9, 2026, where we will be leading a support group for parents and loved ones of those living with BFRBs, or Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors.

BFRBs are often described as repetitive behaviors, and for many people, that language feels accurate. Hair pulling, skin picking, nail biting, and other body-focused behaviors can be experienced as habits, compulsions, sensory-seeking behaviors, or ways to regulate emotion and tension.

At the BFPA Resource Center, we also believe it is important to expand the conversation. For many individuals, these behaviors are not experienced as “just habits” or simple repetitions. They can feel driven by urge, relief, reward, craving, loss of control, and repeated return despite consequences — patterns that closely resemble process addictions.

We recognize that naming is not one-size-fits-all. Not everyone with a BFRB will identify with the language of addiction, and we do not believe any single framework explains every person’s experience. At the same time, there is meaningful evidence suggesting that, for some people, BFRBs may function more like behavioral addictions than traditional compulsions or habits.

Dr. Jon Grant’s work has helped open this important conversation. His position is not that trichotillomania is simply OCD, nor that it is simply a habit. Rather, his research points to the possibility that, for some individuals, hair pulling may be better understood through the lens of behavioral addiction.

This distinction matters. The way we name and understand these behaviors shapes how families respond, how shame is reduced, and how treatment is approached. Our hope is to offer parents and loved ones a compassionate, informed space to better understand the complexity of BFRBs — and to support the people they love with greater clarity, respect, and hope.