Get my Hands off Me: Skin Picking and Hair Pulling Documentary

The Plight of Pullers and Pickers

There sadly is not as much information or research available on disorders like skin picking or hair pulling disorder as there should be. However, today’s awareness of psychiatric compulsive disorders and Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviours (BFRBs) can be attributed to a growing number of sufferers’ willingness to share their stories through online support forums and on social media platforms, such as YouTube, Face Book, websites  and personal Blogs.  In the digital age, someone living with a BFRB can openly tell their stories and experiences to the World Wide Web. They can share things that they have found helpful in managing their disorders and easily connect with others. This in turn opens a channel of communication for other sufferers who are able to find more information on their disorder and see that they are not alone in their struggle.

A Doccie About BFRBs

Get My Hands off Me is a documentary about the compulsive disorders: Dermatillomania (skin picking) and Trichotillomania (hair pulling). It follows the journey of two young female sufferers, Laura and Charlotte as they struggle to conquer their disorders. The documentary was created by Roxy Watson who hopes that her film will raise awareness about these under-researched under-reported disorders. The documentary maker’s goal is to facilitate “even just one person” suffering with either condition that watches the film and is motivated to seek help and improve their way of life. Because documentaries are more than just entertainment, this medium is perfect to create an impact in the BFRB world. It can highlight people’s struggles on camera in real time and serves as a window into their lives.  A documentary can have a deep and lasting effect; it should create empathy in the audience, illuminate new perspectives and act as a call to action. This particular documentary does exactly that and is bound to impact the viewers’ understanding of these disorders whether they themselves are a sufferer or whether they are looking to help and learn more about someone who is suffering with one.