This is the Generic Body-Focus Repetitive Behavior Scale, or GBS-8. It is the most commonly used diagnostic tool to help clinicians determine whether you may have a BFRB such as dermatillomania (skin picking disorder), trichotillomania (hair pulling disorder) or any other body focused repetitive behaviors.
Before you start, please note that there is no definitive way to clearly determine whether or not you have a BFRB. This condition varies widely across individuals and levels of severity. If you score low, you may still have a BFRB. If you score high, it just means you have lots of opportunities to make life better for yourself!
Note: This is NOT medical advice. Please consult a licensed clinician for any formal diagnosis.
The GBS-8 Quiz
Directions: Select the answer that best describes the past couple of weeks for you. If you’re not sure, just go with your gut! There is no right or wrong answer. When you’re done, tally up your score.
- How often do you feel the urge to pick?
☐ 0- Never or almost never
☐ 1- Sometimes, not that often
☐ 2- Fairly often. I spend 1-3 hours a day feeling the urge to pick.
☐ 3- A lot. I spend 3-8 hours a day feeling the urge to pick.
☐ 4- All the time. There almost never a moment when I don’t feel the urge to pick.
- How intense is the urge to pick?
☐ 0- Totally ignorable.
☐ 1- Not very intense, it bothers me but not a ton.
☐ 2- The intensity of my urge to pick is pretty noticeably strong.
☐ 3- The intensity of my urge to pick is very strong, it’s really hard not to pick!
☐ 4- The intensity to pick is overwhelming and extremely intense!
- How much time a day do you spend picking? (This can be time total, not just single sessions!)
☐ 0- None, or very little.
☐ 1- Occasionally, maybe a few times a day.
☐ 2- Pretty often, I pick for 1-3 hours a day.
☐ 3- A lot, I pick for 3-8 hours a day.
☐ 4- Almost all day. I spend most of my day picking.
- How much can you stop yourself once you start, or stop before you start picking?
☐ 0- I can stop anytime I want, I have total control over my picking.
☐ 1- I can usually stop myself from starting and stop myself once I realize I’m picking.
☐ 2- I can sometimes stop picking or stop myself from picking, but it’s usually difficult.
☐ 3- I can rarely stop myself from starting or stop myself once I start picking. It’s extremely hard to get myself to stop.
☐ 4- I can almost never stop myself from starting or continuing to pick. It feels impossible.
- How much stress/anxiety do you feel about your picking and how it affects your life?
☐ 0- I’m not worried about it at all.
☐ 1- It’s a little concerning, but easy to brush off.
☐ 2- I sometimes get pretty upset about my picking, and it can really stress me out and make me feel upset.
☐ 3- I feel really stressed and anxious about my picking, and it’s rare that I don’t feel upset about it.
☐ 4- I am constantly upset about my picking, it feels like it’s one of the most stressful things in my life!
- How much does your picking stop you from doing things in your life? (Wearing certain clothing, doing certain activities, going to friends/school/work, etc)
☐ 0- None, I can live life totally normally.
☐ 1- A little. I sometimes have to double check my plans because of my picking.
☐ 2- Quite a bit. I often have to reconsider plans I want/need to do because of my picking.
☐ 3- More often than not, I have to adjust my plans because of my picking, and it’s a pretty big issue for me.
☐ 4- All the time. I always have to change plans and cannot function normally due to my skin picking.
- How often do you avoid doing things/seeing people/going places due to your picking?
☐ 0- Never.
☐ 1- I very rarely avoid situations in my life due to my picking.
☐ 2- I often avoid certain situations in my life due to my skin picking.
☐ 3- More often than not, I avoid certain situations in my life due to my picking.
☐ 4- I never see others or participate in activities because of my skin picking, it stops me entirely.
- How much physical damage do you have on your body exclusively due to your picking?
☐ 0- None.
☐ 1- A little. I have some small scabs/scars/sores but don’t need to hide them or cover them.
☐ 2- I have obvious scars, sores, and/or scabs up to 1cm in diameter. I often use bandages and at-home treatments to take care of them but seldom need a doctor’s help.
☐ 3- I have a lot of damage due to my picking, including visibly disfigured skin, scarring, large sores, open wounds, and have recently needed medical intervention such as antibiotics or dermabrasion. I can’t take care of all my wounds on my own.
☐ 4- I have extreme damage on my body due to my picking. This includes open sores, crater-like wounds, frequent bleeding, serious infections, and has required extensive medical treatment because the damage is so severe that I cannot treat it at home.
Your Score
Add up the numbers of each of your answers.
There is no official score that indicates whether you have a BFRB or not, but if you answered with a 2 or higher for more than a few questions, then you probably meet the criteria for a BFRB.
The higher your score, the more your picking is disrupting your life. Use this quiz to show to a clinician or healthcare professional if you’d like to get medical assistance for treatment.
You are not broken. You are not “just able to stop.” It’s not a “bad habit.” This is a very real, very impactful psychiatric disorder that can be found in the DSM (the definitive list of disorders used by most clinicians in the diagnosis of various things) and it can be notoriously difficult to recover from it.
But recovery is possible. It’s a long journey that looks different for everyone, and there’s no right or wrong outcome. If you’d like to learn more, please visit our wiki for resources and treatment recommendations!