What Are Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors?

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Pulling hair off one's pet due to trichotillomania is more common than is typically recognized.

Feelings of guilt over pulling a pet's hair can be intense and rooted in the bond with a trusting animal.

Compassion, not shame, is central to treating pet-related BFRBs and protecting both the pet and person.

Certain aspects of living with trichotillomania rarely surface, even in spaces specifically created to discuss body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs). This is one of them.

Most individuals living with trichotillomania are well aware of how the condition affects them personally. What comes up far less often in clinical settings, in support groups, and even in the scientific literature is what happens when they are pulling their pet's hair.

It's an uncomfortable topic. For those affected, it often goes unspoken for years. But it is more common than most people recognize, and the individuals living with this behavior deserve a thoughtful, honest conversation rather than silence and shame.

Understanding the Experience

The guilt that accompanies pulling hair from a beloved pet is often intense. It differs from other dimensions of trichotillomania in an important way: It's not simply frustration with oneself for engaging in the behavior, which may have resulted in their own hair loss or skin damage. It's a complex set of emotions around targeting the hair of a pet who loves and trusts them and has no understanding of why........

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