What Can Help
There isn’t one solution, but there are effective ways to reduce and manage BFRBs while building a more accepting relationship with them.
Change doesn’t come from willpower alone. It comes from understanding patterns, self-compassion, and learning what works for you.
Building Awareness
A helpful first step is noticing when and how the behavior happens.
This can include:
When urges tend to show up
What you’re doing at the time
Physical sensations in the body
Emotional states like stress, boredom, or anxiety
Awareness helps make patterns visible and gives you more flexibility in how you respond.
Mindfulness & Self-Compassion
Mindfulness can help you notice urges without immediately acting on them, creating a small but meaningful pause.
Over time, this can help shift your relationship with the behavior from one driven by frustration or shame to one that feels more manageable.
Self-compassion is just as important. BFRBs are not a character flaw or a failure of willpower.
Treating yourself with kindness, especially during difficult moments or setbacks, is an essential part of the process.
Practical Strategies
There are simple, practical ways to help interrupt or reduce these behaviors:
Keeping your hands busy with something else
Changing your environment or routines
Using small barriers or supports
Creating a pause between the urge and the action
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s building small changes that add up over time.
Evidence-Based Approaches
There are evidence-based approaches specifically designed to help with BFRBs.
These include therapies like the Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment for BFRBs (ComB), Habit Reversal Training (HRT), Acceptance and Committment Therapy (ACT), and mindfulness to focus on building awareness, interrupting patterns, and developing new ways of responding to urges.
These approaches are structured, practical, and tailored to each person’s experience.
Support Makes a Difference
You don’t have to go through this on your own.
Connecting with others who understand, through therapy, group support, or peer communities can make a meaningful difference. Knowing you're not alone changes things.
Working with a therapist who understands BFRBs can help you:
Understand your patterns more clearly
Learn strategies that fit your life
Build consistency over time
Support can make change feel more manageable, and the next step may be easier than you expect.