Key TakeawaysMany people who are neurodivergent report they engage in body-focused repetitive behaviors (BRFBs), such as skin picking, nail biting, or hair pulling.Though these can’t be described as “symptoms” of being neurodivergent, they could help someone determine whether they self-identify as neurodivergent.If BRFBs negatively affect your life or health, a therapist may be able to help you alter your behavior. However, experts say not all BRFBs need to be addressed, as some are harmless.

Key Takeaways

Many people who are neurodivergent report they engage in body-focused repetitive behaviors (BRFBs), such as skin picking, nail biting, or hair pulling.Though these can’t be described as “symptoms” of being neurodivergent, they could help someone determine whether they self-identify as neurodivergent.If BRFBs negatively affect your life or health, a therapist may be able to help you alter your behavior. However, experts say not all BRFBs need to be addressed, as some are harmless.

Neurodivergent TikTok has exploded in popularity since the pandemic, and many have found comfort in sharing and relating to other people’s experiences. Viral TikToks have highlighted the connection between neurodivergent people and certain repetitive habits, like toe-walking and sleeping with “T-rex arms.”

These behaviors are calledbody-focused repetitive behaviors, or BFRBs for short. Some people engage in BFRBs for a specific stimulus or for self-regulation, while others “don’t even realize they’re doing it,” saidJustin Puder, PhD, a psychologist based in Florida.

Neurodivergence exists on a spectrum that encompasses the diverse ways people’s brains work, Puder said. Some individuals who engage in BFRBs have specific diagnoses within the neurodivergence spectrum, such as autism, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), or attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). However, not all neurodivergent people have a formal mental health diagnosis.

Puder said experts have differing opinions on which conditions are considered a form of neurodivergence. In addition to the ones mentioned above, some include bipolar disorder, dyslexia, Tourette syndrome, and Down syndrome in this category.

While some of the BFRBs are linked to specific diagnoses under the neurodiversity umbrella, exhibiting one or more BFRBs doesn’t necessarily mean you have one of those conditions or that you’re neurodivergent.

1. Skin Picking

Skin picking (sometimes calledexcoriationdisorder) occurs when you obsessively pick at your skin—this could mean pimples, scabs, or other spots.Researchers have linked it toOCD,ADHD, and generalized anxiety disorder, among others.

2. Hair Pulling

Hair pulling (sometimes referred to as trichotillomania) occurs when you pull hair from any part of your body. Hair pulling can lead to hair loss, and researchers have linked it to OCD, ADHD, andautism.

3. Toe Walking

Toe walking occurs when you walk on your toes and the balls of your feet instead of your heels. It is usually reported among children, but adults can also exhibit this behavior. The research has linkedtoe walking to autism.(Toe walking can also occur due to unaddressed underlying injuries and, as such, might not always be related to neurodiversity.)

4. Cheek Biting

Some neurodivergent people repetitively bite the insides of their cheeks, which can lead to oral ulcers and other oral health problems. Researchers have linked this behavior to OCD.

5. Nail Biting

Research links habitual nail biting (onychophagia) to OCD.Experts stressed, though, that not everyone who bites their nails is neurodivergent—the habit is common among many individuals for reasons that could be completely unrelated to their cognitive processing.

6. Cracking Knuckles

While some people compulsively crack their knuckles, frequently cracking other joints is associated withOCD.Depending on the joint, this can be dangerous: Some people compulsively crack their necks, which can lead to serious injury.

7. Sleeping With ‘T-Rex Arms’

Some people who identify as neurodivergent say they sleep with their arms in a specific position: with their wrists bent under the chin. Though many people have reported this to be their experience online, it’s difficult to say whether it’s related to the experience of being neurodivergent or simply a common sleep position, experts said.

What Does ‘Neurotypical’ Mean?

What Does It Mean to Be Neurodivergent?

The rise of conversations around neurodiversity is ultimately good because they help people understand thinking differently isn’t necessarily bad or something you need to fix. “When we start to look at the differences in how people’s brains work, we [see] it is not always a negative thing to think in a different way,”Susan Albers, PsyD, a psychologist at Cleveland Clinic, told Verywell.

A mental health professional can help you reach the conclusion you are neurodivergent, but “you can self-label yourself as being neurodivergent,” Albers said. “It’s not something a professional has to [make official].”

“A therapist can help you pinpoint how you think and learn,” she added, “and really help you identify what challenges there may be.”

What This Means For YouMany people on social media point to specific behaviors linked to neurodivergence—like skin picking or knuckle cracking—and while there aren’t “symptoms” of being neurodivergent, experts said these behaviors may help some people decide whether they self-identify as neurodivergent. Therapists can help people alter their habits if compulsively engaging in any of these behaviors adversely affects their lives or health.

What This Means For You

Many people on social media point to specific behaviors linked to neurodivergence—like skin picking or knuckle cracking—and while there aren’t “symptoms” of being neurodivergent, experts said these behaviors may help some people decide whether they self-identify as neurodivergent. Therapists can help people alter their habits if compulsively engaging in any of these behaviors adversely affects their lives or health.

10 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

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Baghchechi M, Pelletier JL, Jacob SE.Art of prevention: the importance of tackling the nail biting habit.Int J Womens Dermatol. 2020;7(3):309-313. doi:10.1016/j.ijwd.2020.09.008

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Johnson A, Linse A, Novoa KC.A tough case to crack: diagnostic, ethical, and legal considerations in treating compulsive neck cracking.Cureus. 2022;14(4):e23875. doi:10.7759/cureus.23875

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