Why can chronic skin picking, hair pulling or nail biting become so incredibly addictive?
You know the behaviour is hurting you. You desperately want to stop. And yet, your brain keeps pulling you back towards it again and again.
There’s actually a reason for this — and when you understand what your brain has learned through these behaviours, so much starts to make sense.
In this episode, you'll discover:
✨ How positive reinforcement, negative reinforcement and unpredictable rewards can combine to make picking, pulling and biting incredibly difficult to resist
✨ Why your brain learned to rely on these behaviours in the first place — and why it doesn't mean there's something wrong with you
✨ One of the biggest underlying factors fuelling the addictive cycle and where you can start focusing your healing instead
Your brain learned that picking, pulling or biting could help you escape discomfort AND give you relief, soothing or satisfaction.
But what your brain has learned, it can also learn to respond to differently. And by building your capacity to navigate your emotional world, you can slowly reduce how much you need these behaviours to do it for you.
Resources:
Emotion regulation deficits in skin picking (excoriation) disorder: A systematic review
The clinical phenomenology of skin-picking disorder – Are there any obsessive-compulsive components?
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My name is Raffaela Marie. I'm a holistic BFRB coach who has healed from 15 years of chronic skin picking myself and dedicated my life to helping driven women do the same. Through my podcast, free resources, and programs, I teach strategies to overcome urges, build emotional safety, and expand into authenticity. My approach goes beyond quick fixes, focusing on root causes and long-term recovery.
