HabitAware in the News

Game-changing device for people with body-focused repetitive behaviors

September 14, 2022

At 17 years old, Aneela Idnani was struggling with the loss of her father. Over time, she developed a mental health condition known as Trichotillomania, a compulsion to unknowingly pull out one’s hair as a self-soothing mechanism.

With Keen Awareness, Aneela Idnani Is Helping People Break The Cycle Of Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors

August 11, 2022

Vibrating bracelet helping control compulsive hair pulling disorder

July 07, 2022

Director of Awareness with HabitAware, Ellen Crupi, says she has a common, yet unspoken disorder called Trichotillomania (trik-o-til-o-MAY-nee-uh). Crupi spoke with Keni Mac on Loving Living Local, sharing her journey battling the compulsive hair-pulling disorder since she was 10 years old. Trichotillomania is a mental health disorder involving recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from one’s own scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or other areas of the body, despite trying to stop.

Fidget Podcast ft. Ellen Crupi: I really do think you're strong enough right now

November 22, 2021

Who is the pilot? Who is at fault? What can replace shame? What is more satisfying than a BFRB? How do we organize ourselves? When am I allowed to pull?Featured guest: Ellen Crupi, Director of Awareness at Habit Aware

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Fidget Podcast ft. Aneela Idnani: There will be an answer

October 18, 2021

What are the underlying conditions of our BFRBs? How do you meet yourself with compassion? What we use as reminders? What does pain push us to do? Featured guest: Aneela Idnani, cofounder of HabitAware.

So grateful to be on the Fidget podcast!

Listen on Spotify | Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Audible | Listen on FidgetPodcast.com

5 Things to Prepare For When Telling A Loved One You Have Trichotillomania

October 18, 2021

This post was kindly contributed by Aneela Idnani, Co-Founder of HabitAware.

"For more than 20 years I hid my hair pulling out of shame and fear of judgement.

Hair pulling actually started as thumb sucking as a baby. My parents and grandma did everything in their power to get me to stop – including handmade knitted mittens. My thumb found a way through those holes but eventually I stopped and graduated to hair twirling. Every night, I drank a warm glass of milk & twirled my hair as I fell asleep, all cuddled in my pink comforters."

Read the article here!

Introducing New Habits

October 07, 2021

"Something I have struggled with, for literally over 20 years, is pulling my hair out. I’m not talking about those silly cartoon moments, where a character is “pulling their hair out” because they’re frustrated. This is something that’s much more in-depth, and more serious. Hair-pulling falls under the category of Body-focused repetitive behaviours or BFRBs, for short. This also includes nail-biting, and skin picking, etc."

Read the rest on Surthrivability

Trichotillomania: From Concealing to Healing

October 07, 2021

"My name is Aneela Idnani. I am cofounder of HabitAware and I pull out my hair.

Whew.

Are you wondering how I can be so open about my trichotillomania?"

What Living with Trichotillomania Is Really Like

October 07, 2021

"You probably know someone who bites their nails. Heck, it's so common you might even do it yourself. But while you might dismiss it as just a 'bad habit,' it's actually categorized as a Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB) — a general term for a group of related disorders that involve the manipulation of hair or skin on the body."

"To go along with this mindfulness recognition, I've found it helpful to have a Keen bracelet, made specifically for people with BFRBs by the company HabitAware. They buzz when your hands are in your trigger area so you can take a second to re-assess. I've found this bracelet to be extremely effective in noticing patterns, plus it even has an app to show you your progress and determine patterns."

Read on Yahoo News

What Living with Trichotillomania Is Really Like

October 07, 2021

"You probably know someone who bites their nails. Heck, it's so common you might even do it yourself. But while you might dismiss it as just a 'bad habit,' it's actually categorized as a Body-Focused Repetitive Behavior (BFRB) — a general term for a group of related disorders that involve the manipulation of hair or skin on the body."

"To go along with this mindfulness recognition, I've found it helpful to have a Keen bracelet, made specifically for people with BFRBs by the company HabitAware. They buzz when your hands are in your trigger area so you can take a second to re-assess. I've found this bracelet to be extremely effective in noticing patterns, plus it even has an app to show you your progress and determine patterns."

Read on MSN

What Living with Trichotillomania Is Really Like

October 07, 2021

"Body-Focused Repetitive Behaviors like trichotillomania have been on the rise during the pandemic, but there is a light at the end of the tunnel."

"To go along with this mindfulness recognition, I've found it helpful to have a Keen bracelet, made specifically for people with BFRBs by the company HabitAware. They buzz when your hands are in your trigger area so you can take a second to re-assess. I've found this bracelet to be extremely effective in noticing patterns, plus it even has an app to show you your progress and determine patterns."

Read on Instyle

HabitAware with Howie Mandel: One Hundred Percent with Marcus Lemonis

September 02, 2021

Aneela Idnani had been suffering in shame for over 20 years from a mental disorder that affects over 20 million people. She was ripping out her hair and she wasn’t able to turn it off. Aneela and her husband banded together to make a device that could help combat compulsive repetitive behavior and a business was formed. Marcus sits down with Aneela to understand her story, her business and goals. He also invites the perfect guest to join the conversation. Although Howie Mandel has been open about his mental health struggles for years, there was a time when he too was desperate to hide his condition