Key points

Both OCD and BFRBs involve repetitive behaviors that can feel hard to stop.

OCD and BFRBs can overlap, but they are separate conditions with differing treatment approaches.

Getting the right diagnosis is the first step toward the right kind of help.

Body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are often confused. Both conditions can cause significant distress and impairment to daily functioning, and both often involve repetitive actions that feel difficult or impossible to stop.

Yet there are important differences in their underlying mechanisms, functions, and treatments. Let’s explore what connects these two and what sets them apart.

The Overlap: Why They're Sometimes Confused

1. Repetitive behaviors that feel compulsive

At first

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