Behavioural management of trichotillomania with combined vocal and motor tics: A case report

Trichotillomania characterized by repeated hair pulling leads to considerable hair loss. The problem may manifest itself in early adolescence wherein multiple causes ranging from emotional diiculties to academic failure may act as triggers. The present case study investigates about the causes that may lead to the occurrence of impulse control disorders in adolescence and also discusses about the applications of Habit Reversal Training (HRT) through the case of an adolescent boy presenting with complaints of hair pulling, taking out weird sounds from the throat and jerking the neck repeatedly. He was being managed using pharmacotherapy but with little improvement and hence was referred for psychotherapy. As the therapy progressed, a drop in symptom severity was observed. Academic and emotional diiculties may contribute signiicantly towards anxiety and agitation in adolescence leading to various forms of psychopathology. Behaviour therapy may prove to be eicacious in such cases.