Show your #thisisme for BFRB awareness week

BFRB awareness week is approaching! Every year from 1-7 October those involved in the advocacy and awareness of BFRBs such as hair pulling and skin picking disorder, observe BFRB awareness week. This year a group called the TLC Millennial Task force have come up with an engaging online awareness campaign designed to show the many faces of BFRBs. BFRBs affect people from many different walks of life—people of different races, genders, socio-economic statuses, and locations—in both obvious and subtle ways. #thisisme is a way for the global BFRB community to reach out and get that message across, and hopefully raise awareness in all communities.

Who it the Millennial Task Force?

The #thisisme Project is a program of the Trichotillomania Learning Center's Millennial Task Force. Millennials (teens and young adults) are key to creating awareness and advancing treatment for BFRBs as they are the generation of tomorrow. TLC therefore recognized the importance of tapping into the enthusiasm and expertise of this group when creating and implementing projects, programs, and campaigns that speak directly to the needs of young people with BFRBs. TLC believes that Millennial Task Force initiatives will enhance TLC’s ability to build awareness and outreach, grow its membership base, and promote effective treatment options. The Task force currently consists of 8 young women who run a tumblr blog called trichs and picks.

What is the #thisisme campaign and how do I get involved?

This is basically a social media campaign whereby those with BFRBs are encouraged to take a video or photo self about yourself and your BFRB. According to TLC you can put as little or as much information as you feel comfortable sharing, giving the following ideas:

    Your first name (don't share your last name)

    Where you’re from

    Your hobbies/interests/career

    How old you were when your BFRB started

    The worst part of having a BFRB

    The best part of having a BFRB

    The ideal reaction for someone to have when you tell them about your BFRB

    How support people can help

    Something you would like to tell people who just discovered the BFRB community

    The words “this is me"

Go on, support the cause.