5 Examples of Aversion Therapy

Smith et al conducted a study of a multimodal inpatient program that used aversion therapy as a treatment component. A sample of 200 patients who had been completed treatment for alcoholism were recruited and a final sample of one hundred sixty (80%) were located. However, replication of these findings in a controlled clinical trial would strengthen the weight of evidence. Aversion therapy for alcoholism is based on the notion that aversion conditioning produces a conditioned response to alcohol that is antagonistic to subsequent alcohol ingestion.

This is because there is no longer the threat of the deterrent, or negative stimulus, being implemented when the behavior occurs. The dysfunction of the orbitofrontal cortex that results from repeated exposure to alcohol accounts for craving and relapse in PAD. Additionally, PAD seem to be less sensitive to cues related to aversive consequences of alcohol overuse in comparison with healthy individuals. Thirty-eight PAD and 26 healthy volunteers were administered cue reactivity tasks while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain response to craving-inducing cues and aversion-inducing cues . Patients subjective ratings on the “craving/desire vs. aversion/avoidance” rating scale before treatment and after 4 aversion therapy sessions (post-treatment).

Critiques of Aversion Therapy

Critics of aversion therapy argue that this often makes the treatment short-lived. People of all ages have common addictive habits that they wish to break free from — smoking, nail-biting, alcohol addiction, and substance abuse, among others. Some people are able to stop these habits with just a strong resolution to do so, but for many others, dropping an addictive behavior can be a struggle. Sometimes it can be quite difficult to abstain form past behaviors and addictions. However, for those that don’t get the desired results with more common methods, approaches in aversion therapy can often serve as just the right motivation to get the job done.

In aversion therapy, therapists pair an unpleasant feeling or sensation with the behavior the client wishes to eliminate. Traditional aversion therapy uses either chemical aversion, a terrible smell or unpleasant taste, or electrical aversion, in which the client is shocked by electricity, when the client engages in the targeted behavior. Since 1967, covert sensitization, aversion in the imagination, has medications for treating alcohol dependence replaced the traditional negative stimulus methods. This is done by asking the client to imagine a very negative consequence while engaging in the target behavior. It’s seen good results in a number of clinical trials related to smoking, drinking and weight loss. While it hasn’t been studied as much as other techniques, there’s enough evidence to call it an established method for breaking bad habits.

fMRI scans

Aversion therapy here typically involves the introduction of some unpleasant element to the process. Some people apply a bitter or foul-tasting substance to the nail area so as to remind and deter the habitual offender. Others deliver a mildly painful punishment to themselves, such as a pinch or an ice cube, that serves as a negative counteraction to the nail biting. What is aversion therapy and what are some examples of this therapeutic approach? The subject of our post here truly is a unique concept in behavior modification approaches. Learn how aversion therapy works, when to use it, and explore aversion therapy effectiveness and issues.

Aversion therapy may not be the most effective because of the high relapse rate. The ethics of aversion therapy are also controversial because the stimuli applied to patients can be painful. Aversion therapy techniques have also been used in conversion therapy, a therapy aimed at curing homosexuality.

According to an article published in Psychology Today, over 50 percent of the patients enrolled in this program had remained smoke-free a year after completing treatment. Before their first chemical aversion treatment, patients reported a moderate desire/craving for alcohol, (see Figure ​ Figure3). Craving reduction is becoming an increasingly important goal of treatments for alcohol use disorder (Casey et al., 2012; Field and Jones, 2017; Roberts et al., 2017).

Emotional freedom technique — Also called tapping or psychological acupressure, this involves tapping certain points on the body to focus one’s attention, reduce stress and improve the body’s flow of energy. An “aversion” is a strong dislike or feeling of disgust, which usually causes someone to avoid or turn away from the thing causing the aversion. With strict editorial sourcing guidelines, we only link to academic research institutions, reputable media sites and, when research is available, medically peer-reviewed studies.

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Some research has shown that aversion therapy is effective for treating alcohol use disorder. Aversion therapy is most known for treating people with addictive behaviors, like those found in alcohol alcohol withdrawal scale aws use disorder. Most research has been focused on its benefits relating to substance use. She says the trauma of something like that would have made her turn to alcohol in the past but not now.

However, the use of aversion therapy with the aim of ‘treating’ homosexuality is considered unethical and has been labelled a violation by both the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychological Association. Aversion therapy for weight loss is another area that should be tread carefully. It’s very easy to develop disordered eating habits even with the best of intentions, so if you’re considering this form of treatment for a diet or weight loss routine, make sure that you consult with trained professionals first. When we have a drive to eat all the wrong things, our bodies and our greater health thus suffer many bad consequences. Homebuyers want to simplify selling. Low rates and excellent service guarantee customer satisfaction. Visit https://www.cashoffers.com/kansas/.

Is It Effective?

This study reports the first experimental evidence that aversion conditioning produces a CR to the taste and smell of alcohol. While medically conservative, the taste-aversion procedures produced profound malaise and reliable emesis shortly after patients began drinking alcoholic beverages. Attitudinal and psychophysiological indices all reflected the acquisition of an alcohol aversion as a function of conditioning. Alcohol craving was assessed during the 30 min that preceded each of the two fMRI sessions.

• In 2006, ethical codes were established by both the APA and the American Psychiatric Association.
• And H.G.H for use during fMRI assessments of patients’ brain activity during imagined/self-generated drinking experiences.
• All subjects gave written informed consent in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki.
• More than 35,000 alcoholics have received chemical aversion in at least 75 settings worldwide since the 1930s.
• This article is based on scientific evidence, written by experts and fact checked by our trained editorial staff.
• The hospital continued routine follow up contacts for a year post-discharge (see Elkins, 1980; Frawley et al., 2017).

Some experts believe that using negative stimulus in aversion therapy is equal to using punishment as a form of therapy, which is unethical. In some of the most comprehensive research on aversion therapy in the 1950s, researchers noted a decline in abstinence over time. After 1 year, 60 percent remained alcohol-free, but it was only 51 percent after 2 years, 38 percent after 5 years, and 23 percent after 10 years or more.

Aetna does not provide health care services and, therefore, cannot guarantee any results or outcomes. Participating providers are independent contractors in private the most effective ways to fight alcohol cravings and urges practice and are neither employees nor agents of Aetna or its affiliates. Treating providers are solely responsible for medical advice and treatment of members.

After the first four chemical aversion treatments, the patients now reported a strong aversion/repulsion to alcohol, and this strong aversion to alcohol was still evident 30 and 90 days post-treatment. Furthermore, 69% of the participants reported being abstinent 12 months post-treatment. The exact way aversion therapy is performed depends on the undesirable behavior or habit that’s being treated. One commonly used aversive therapy is chemical aversion for alcohol use disorder.

You and your healthcare provider can discuss the right treatment plan for you, whether that includes aversion therapy or not. Often, a combination of treatments including talk therapy and medication can help you cope with your concern. Prior to 1973, homosexuality was considered a mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders . A homosexual person could be imprisoned or potentially forced into a program of aversion therapy for revealing their orientation.

Over time, consistently pairing the nail-biting with an aversive taste will cause you to feel nauseous when you even think of biting your nails. Developments in the application of chemical aversion therapy to the treatment of alcohol dependence are discussed. Historical factors leading to the early use of chemical aversion therapies are delineated and the theoretical underpinnings of chemical aversion interventions are evaluated. Ethical and procedural considerations are addressed and an assessment of the efficacy of the therapy is attempted. Future research activities that would lead to refinement of chemical aversion therapy protocols are highlighted.

Emetic therapy and faradic aversion therapy have been used to induce aversion for cocaine dependency. A second one is called exposure therapy, which works by exposing a person to something they fear. Sometimes these two types of therapies can be combined for a better outcome. Some people did voluntarily seek this or other types of psychiatric therapy for homosexuality. This was often due to shame and guilt, as well as societal stigma and discrimination.