Habit reversal training is composed of level of treatment designed to alleviate or cure repetitive behavioral disorders. Compulsive Skin picking is a condition where a person picks the skin repetitively, without awareness to the point of obliterating the skin itself. The goal of habit reversal training is to reduce the tics associated with impulse control disorder such as compulsive skin picking.
Habit reversal training for skin picking involves four components. They are the following, awareness training, competing response training, building motivation and generalization of skills. Habit reversal training for skin picking is based on an urge, a sensation before a tic. The objective of habit reversal training for skin picking is to replace bad habits with constructive ones.
Awareness training is used to inform the affected person of the tics and other behaviors so the subject can maintain self control. The affected person describes his or her behavior in detail while looking in a mirror. It is up to the therapist to point out the instances when the subject carries out the impulse over and over until the subject makes a habit of noticing it every time he or she does the tic. As this goes on, the person learns to identify when an impulse behavior is about to happen by identifying the urge, sensation or thought. Then awareness training is complete if the affected person identifies all the situations in which the impulse behavior occurs.
Once the person affected is informed of the impulse behavior, then a competing response should be formed to replace the old behavior. The usual competing response is opposite of the original impulse behavior and should take note the duration of the effectivity. It is noted that the appropriate response would be not noticeable by anyone.
To build motivation, one must be charitable in giving complements and praise. The subject is also tasked to list down the problems that are caused by the behavior.
The final phase is to apply the competent response to the impulse behavior in different contexts and different environments. A person should exercise in the house, office, or school.
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