Treating Trichotillomania: Successful Application of Manualized Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Trichotillomania (TTM) involves the compulsive pulling of one’s bodily hair and is often associated with significant distress or impairment. The present case study concerns a college-aged woman, whose history of TTM extended over 5 years and had been unsuccessfully treated by psychotherapy and medic...
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Veröffentlicht in: | Clinical case studies 2016-10, Vol.15 (5), p.376-391 |
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Hauptverfasser: | , |
Format: | Artikel |
Sprache: | eng |
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Zusammenfassung: | Trichotillomania (TTM) involves the compulsive pulling of one’s bodily hair and is often associated with significant distress or impairment. The present case study concerns a college-aged woman, whose history of TTM extended over 5 years and had been unsuccessfully treated by psychotherapy and medication management. Although TTM can be a challenging disorder to treat, the literature indicates that cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) has been successful in this regard. Therefore, we implemented CBT based on the manual developed by Keuthen, Stein, and Christenson; specific elements of therapy used included relaxation, self-monitoring, habit reversal training (HRT), reinforcement/punishment contingencies, thought monitoring, and cognitive restructuring. This approach was successful, as the client evidenced a 72% decrease in hair-pulling after using HRT alone, and complete elimination of hair-pulling after introducing the cognitive-restructuring element. Impressively, the gains lasted not only in the short term, but also had been reportedly maintained at a 5-year follow-up. |
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ISSN: | 1534-6501 1552-3802 |
DOI: | 10.1177/1534650116649438 |