Welcome to the BFPA Resource Center
A short introduction to the BFPA Resource Center, what body-focused process addictions are, and who this site is for.
Welcome. This is the first post on the BFPA Resource Center blog.
We created this site to offer a credible, straightforward resource for people dealing with body-focused process addictions and their loved ones. If you arrived here because something in your life has been harder to stop, or harder to explain, than you would like, you are in the right place.
What we mean by BFPA
A Body Focused Process Addiction, or BFPA™, is a type of behavioral addiction. It includes behaviors that many people know as Body Focused Repetitive Behaviors (BFRBs): skin picking, hair pulling, nail biting, cheek chewing, and related behaviors.
Framing these behaviors as addictions, rather than habits or disorders alone, has three consequences that matter:
- It acknowledges the neurobiology involved, including the role of dopamine in the cycle of urge, action, and relief.
- It opens up treatment models developed for addiction, which work.
- It makes room for the emotional weight many people carry about these behaviors, without framing that weight as a character flaw.
Who this is for
This site is intended for:
- People dealing with a BFPA themselves.
- Loved ones: parents, partners, siblings, and friends who want to understand and help.
- Clinicians and referral partners looking for a trustworthy resource to share with clients.
What the blog will cover
We will write here when we have something worth saying. Some posts will be practical, some will be conceptual, and some will be about the emotional landscape of living with and treating BFPAs.
Where to go next
If you are curious where you stand, the self-assessment is a private, nine-question reflection. Nothing is saved, nothing is sent.
If you want to continue with us, you can join the community on Circle.
Thank you for being here.