Therapeutic Approach Based on Negative Conditioning: Objective, Illustrations, and Debate
Mucking About with Negative Experiences: A Look at Aversion Therapy
Aversion therapy (AT) is a treatment method that involves linking an unwanted behavior, like addiction or excessive nail biting, with an unpleasant experience, in an attempt to discourage the behavior. This type of therapy is also known as "aversive conditioning" or "deterrent therapy."
People often receive AT as a means to tackle issues like tobacco smoking, alcohol use disorder, and gambling addiction, although it's less common than other treatment options for substance use disorders. Over the years, AT has been embroiled in controversy, with some mental health professionals viewing it as unethical. The long-term effectiveness of AT in managing substance use disorders is still under debate.
What's the Goal of Aversion Therapy?
Aversion therapy works by repeatedly pairing an undesirable behavior or habit with an unpleasant sensation, making the unwanted behavior less appealing.
What Kind of Behaviors can Aversion Therapy Help?
Aversion therapy may assist in alleviating issues like:
- Nail biting
- Tobacco smoking
- Alcohol use disorder
- Gambling addiction
Real-life Examples
Examples of aversion therapy include:
Emetic Counterconditioning
Emetic Counterconditioning (ECC) can help reduce alcohol cravings in people with alcohol use disorder. During ECC sessions, a person takes a medication to induce nausea and vomiting, and then tastes and swallows different alcoholic beverages. This helps the person associate drinking alcohol with the unpleasant feeling of nausea or being sick.
Visual Warnings
Graphic warning labels on cigarette packages, mandated in 118 countries, feature disturbing images of the potential health consequences of smoking. These visual warnings function as a type of aversion therapy by pairing smoking with upsetting images.
Fast Smoking
Rapid smoking accelerates the puffing process, triggering unpleasant sensations that make smoking increasingly intolerable. The aim is to decrease nicotine dependence, but research suggests that rapid smoking is not an effective long-term treatment for quitting smoking.
Rubber Band Therapy
Rubber Band Aversion Therapy (RBAT) is a method used to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD). People wearing a rubber band around their wrist snap it every time they have an obsessive thought. The idea is that by repeating this action, the person associates obsessive thoughts with physical pain, leading to fewer obsessive thoughts.
Does Aversion Therapy Work?
Research demonstrates that aversion therapy can reduce addictive behaviors temporarily. For example, a study investigating the effects of ECC on alcohol-related brain activity found that 69% of participants reported being sober 12 months after treatment, and their brain scans showed significant reductions in craving-related brain activity [1]. However, the long-term effectiveness of AT for various addiction-related behaviors is still unclear.
The Grey Area Surrounding Aversion Therapy
Despite its potential benefits, aversion therapy is deemed controversial by some mental health professionals since it involves using punishment as a form of therapy. In the past, a form of aversion therapy known as conversion therapy was used to try and alter people's sexual orientation, which has since been deemed unethical. There are also concerns about the psychological and physical discomfort caused by aversion therapy, as well as the potential impact on patient autonomy.
In recent years, some mental health practitioners have continued to engage in conversion therapy, much to the dismay of many experts. Efforts are underway to legally ban this practice in the United States.
References:
- A 2017 study on the effects of emetic counterconditioning
- A 2016 review on the application of aversion therapy for nicotine addiction
- A 2010 review on the effectiveness of rubber band aversion therapy for OCD
- An overview of aversion therapy provided by the American Psychological Association
- Information on medications and addiction treatment from the National Institute on Drug Abuse
- Aversion therapy is a treatment method that attempts to discourage unwanted behaviors by linking them with unpleasant experiences, such as in the case of alcohol use disorder or smoking.
- This form of psychotherapy, also known as "aversive conditioning" or "deterrent therapy", is often used for issues like tobacco smoking, alcohol use disorder, nail biting, and gambling addiction.
- In 2022, the effectiveness of aversion therapy for long-term management of substance use disorders is still under debate in the field of science and health-and-wellness, with some mental health professionals viewing it as unethical.
- An example of aversion therapy, Emetic Counterconditioning (ECC), can help reduce alcohol cravings by inducing nausea and vomiting when participants taste and swallow alcohol, thus associating drinking alcohol with the unpleasant feeling.
- Visual warnings on cigarette packages, featuring graphic images of the potential health consequences, function as a type of aversion therapy by pairing smoking with upsetting images.
- Aversion therapies, like Rubber Band Aversion Therapy (RBAT) used for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), involve associating undesirable thoughts with physical pain, aiming to reduce the frequency of obsessions.
- While aversion therapy can temporarily reduce addictive behaviors, its long-term effectiveness for various addiction-related behaviors is still unclear.
