Habit Reversal Therapy is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy used to help people with which disorders?

• A. Form of CBT used to help people with tic and impulse control disorders (trichotillomania)
• B. Medical treatment for anxiety
• C. Psychoanalytic therapy for OCD
• D. Behavioral therapy for depression

Answer: (A)

Habit reversal therapy targets reducing repetitive, involuntary behaviors by teaching the person to become aware of urges and to perform a competing, incompatible response instead. This approach is especially effective for tic disorders and trichotillomania, where urges lead to repetitive actions like tics or hair-pulling. The method typically includes awareness training, developing a competing response, and strategies to maintain gains with motivation and social support. It’s not a general medical treatment for anxiety, nor a psychoanalytic approach to OCD, nor a broad behavioral therapy for depression—the strength of habit reversal is its direct focus on stopping the specific repetitive behavior itself.