If you deal with challenging body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) or disorders like Trichotillomania or Dermatillomania, there is an innovative new tool to help you! We’re pleased to share the story of HabitAware by inviting its Co-Founder Aneela Kumar. Join us to hear her story, learn more about Trichotillomania or Dermatillomania and ways to manage it with their new device, Keen!
AK: Keen by HabitAware is a smart bracelet that helps people overcome debilitating subconscious behaviors, like hair pulling (trichotillomania), skin picking (dermatillomania / excoriation disorder), nail biting, nose picking and more. At the core, these behaviors are mental health disorders (body focused repetitive behaviors), of which I personally suffer.
That’s how we invented Keen and when it worked for me, we kept pushing – and the doors kept opening to make Keen a reality for others! Here’s a quick video on our story:
We launched earlier this year and have been helping countless people build keen awareness take control and live better.
Keen works using custom hand detection. Using a mobile app, you teach Keen the behavior you want to become aware of. When your hand catches you in that area, it sends a vibration. This vibration wakes you up and gives you the chance to make a new choice to take back control!
AK: Keen is an important tool for people with body focused repetitive behaviors. These behaviors manifest subconsciously – that “reptile brain” of ours is engaging in the behavior without our true input. It’s like breathing or your heart beating – it just happens. Awareness is the first step to taking control. You can’t change what you don’t know is happening. And that is where Keen comes in, by providing that awareness!
AiT: What do you for the future in terms of how Keen can help people struggling with BFRBs?
AK: Making Keen a reality has given me a broader mission to end the stigma around mental health. Everyone has problems in life and sometimes those problems affect how the brain operates. I hope for a day when therapy becomes a standard part of whole body care, in the same way most health insurance companies cover the annual physical.