Treatment Options
Psychotherapy and medication (in some cases) are the treatment of choice for BFRBs. Different types of psychotherapy have been shown to help individuals reduce or stop their repetitive behavior entirely.
Habit Reversal Training
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment
Medication
Habit Reversal Training
Habit Reversal Training (HRT) is a three component training program that helps you reduce or stop repetitive behavior. (7)
Three Components of HRT:
- Increased Awareness: working with a trained mental health therapist to recognize situations or circumstances in which you are likely to engage in the repetitive behavior. This may include becoming aware of sensations or movements you feel and do before the behavior and/or recognizing your emotional state before the behavior occurs.
- Competing Response: identifying a behavior that can be substituted for the repetitive behavior. The new behavior should make it hard or impossible to do the unwanted behavior. For example, if you are trying to avoid picking your skin, you might clench your fist into a tight ball or sit on your hands. The goal is to perform your new substituted behavior every time you feel the urge to do the repetitive behavior or are in a situation where it is likely to occur.
- Social Support: bringing in support systems such as parents, siblings and friends to assist you with reducing/eliminating the behavior. Your support system is brought in to praise you when they see you performing the substituted behavior and also to remind you about the substituted behavior when they see you engaging in the unwanted behavior.
The research on HRT is promising for short term improvement, however, professionals and those with lived experience have found when used alone, long-term improvement is difficult.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Comprehensive Behavioral Treatment
Medication