Slightly Robot - Another Habit Awareness Device for Dermatillomania

Methods of cognitive behavioral therapy such as Habit Reversal Training have shown to be effective in the treatment of body-focused repetitive behaviors (BFRBs) such as excoriation disorder and trichotillomania (compulsive hair pulling). Habit Reversal Training is a multicomponent behavioural treatment package originally developed to address a wide variety of repetitive behaviour disorders and has four main components: Awareness Training, development of a competing response, building motivation and generalisation of skills. 

The Importance of Awareness

The very first component of Habit Reversal is the development of awareness of the behavior you are trying to break, particularly if you engage in it automatically. Many compulsive skin pickers report that they start picking without realising it and once they start it is very difficult to stop. Awareness training is used to bring greater attention to picking and other behaviours so that the affected person can gain better self-control, and is usually carried out in a number of small steps:

1. The person describes in detail each time they carry out the behaviour while looking into a mirror
2. The therapist will tell the person whenever he or she carries out the impulse. This is done repeatedly until the person notices every time they do it
3. The person learns to identify the earliest warning that an impulsive behaviour is about to take place. These warning signs can be urges, sensations or thoughts
4. The person identifies all the situations in which the impulsive behaviour occurs

However this is much easier listed than done. Many people report finding it difficult to remember to document their picking, or are not always able to at a given time.

Introducing Slightly Robot!

Slightly Robot is a device that tracks your hands and vibrates when your hands perform certain actions. You can calibrate it to your personal behaviors, and it then monitors your hand position and vibrates whenever your hands go where they're not supposed to. Long term trends are automatically logged in your phone to see how you are doing. Not only is the device great for awareness training, it looks good and is comfortable to wear too. Each bracelet is handmade. Sporting a genuine leather strap and stainless steel buckles. We contacted the founders of Slightly Robot and they have agreed to an interview. We will be featuring their interview on our blog next month.